What If?
by Bloomsbury
Summary: AU: What would happen to our favorite characters if one or two important aspects of their identity were not their own, but belonged to someone else. How would they behave differently? Would they end up in the same predicaments as they appear show or would events play out differently? DOCCUBUS. T to start.
1. Chapter 1

AU: What would happen to our favorite characters if one or two important aspects of their identity were not their own, but belonged to someone else. How would they behave differently? Would they end up in the same predicaments as they appear show or would events play out differently? DOCCUBUS. T to start.

Disclaimer: I do not own the show or its characters. I am just going to abuse them for other peoples' entertainment.

Setting: This story starts before Bo has been introduced to the group.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I found myself complaining the other day about the lack of new doccubus friendly fan fiction out here and decided it was time for me to do my part to support the cause.  
I've never written anything like this before so I'm not sure exactly what I am doing. Plus, I don't have a beta who can steer me in the right direction so I can only promise to do my best to produce something worthy. Please let me know what you think and if you have feedback/ideas.

CHAPTER 1:

Lauren finds herself just staring blankly at a corpse in the middle of her lab when her phone starts vibrating in the back pocket of her slacks.

Before she makes any attempt to retrieve her phone, she glances up at the clock on the far wall to find that it is 1 am in the morning. "Shit," she mumbles under her breath as she flips back her lab coat and digs in her pocket for her hidden phone.

It is not uncommon for her to lose track of time while having a lengthy internal dialogue with herself on a problem that is not easily remedied. The good part about being alone in her lab when this happens is that she won't accidentally spend an embarrassing amount of time staring at someone unintentionally. That has a tendency to give people the wrong impression and can be incredibly awkward. This particular incident seems to have taken a lot longer than normal, though. She was probably out of it for at least 30 minutes.

Lauren briefly looks at the caller ID and rolls her eyes before connecting the call. It's her roomie probably wondering where the hell she is.

"Hey," she says weakly into the phone.

After a few seconds of listening to her friend on the phone, Lauren shuts her eyes, bows her head and shakes it slightly from side-to-side. "You can breath easy now. As you can tell, I haven't been eaten by some Zombie like underfae. I just have a lot of work to do and I lost track of time."

More time elapses, before she responds again. "That's okay. I don't need you to be my human alarm clock. I doubt I can afford you." Before she can finish her thought, the talking on the other end becomes more animated.

Lauren pinches the bridge of her nose to try and relieve some of the pressure she feels as the fussing on the other end of the line continues. She tries to interrupt the onslaught for a second by explaining about the murder she is helping to investigate. "It's just that we received the body of a young man today and..." Her words fall on deaf ears, though.

"You are right," Lauren says with a deep sigh.

"No, I am not going to repeat that. You heard me just fine. I'm going to make you work for your next ringtone recording." A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she opens her eyes and looks skyward.

"I can't come home right away because I haven't eaten in a little while and I need to grab something along the way." Before she can finish her thought, her friend interrupts her with a question.

"A while is a while. I can't quantify the amount of time elapsed because I don't remember exactly, " Lauren says agitatedly.

"I do not have photographic memory. Can we not do this right now? Would you please save the rest of your lecture for another time, perhaps?" Lauren starts tapping on an empty corner of the dead man's gurney as her roomy responds.

"We've had this type of conversation many, many times. You know that will not enable your bad habits. If you want donuts, chicken wings and vodka for breakfast, you will need to get them yourself. If you want something that won't contribute to your early demise, I would be more than happy to bring that home." Lauren's agitation is replaced with amusement.

"Yes, I swear on my favorite microscope that I will leave right away." As the call wraps up, Lauren pulls the sheet back over the young man's body and walks swiftly to her office."

"I know. You just bitch because you care. Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning." With those words, Lauren hangs up the phone and slips it back into her pocket. It can be exhausting talking to her best friend, but she wouldn't trade a second of it for the world.

As she reaches down to the floor to retrieve her carrier bag, Lauren has to grab the edge of her desk to keep from falling over completely. That's when the internal dialogue begins again.

"Maybe, I have gone a little too long without eating properly," she thinks to herself. She drags her bag over to a chair where she flops down and tries to regain her equilibrium.

"Kenzi is right about needing to do a better job sleeping and eating regularly. I know that I am not on my game when I am operating at a deficiency, but I just hate being a slave to my base needs. I could get so much more accomplished if I didn't have to waste my time with such things." Lauren's head turns towards her office window where she can see into the lab and her eyes fall upon the hidden form of the dead young man.

"I realize that not everything can be treated as an emergency. It is just hard not to sacrifice when you know there are people in mourning and looking for answers. How can you focus on yourself when you know that others are in danger until a threat is nullified and you can help nullify that threat in your own way."

Unexpectedly, she hears Kenzi's voice in her head say "Times a wasting, Blondie. Get your ass a moving." This thought actually makes her laugh out loud as she finishes packing up her bag. "Great. Now, I am channeling Kenzi in my thoughts. She really needs to get her own place."

After her bag is packed, her take-out order is placed and the files on her desk are securely locked away, Lauren puts on her leather jacket and heads out of the office, turning off the lights on the way. As she passes by the gurney in the middle of the room, she says "I'll see you tomorrow, Kyle. With any luck, I will be able to get you back to your family shortly."

It's in private moments like these she is able to remind herself that these bodies are more than a problem to be solved. Kyle was someone's son, someone's brother or someone's boyfriend and is more than a mere intellectual challenge. He was probably loved and would be missed. He deserved to be treated with respect, human or not.

She taps the gurney with a sad expression on her face as she subsequently, hustles out the front doors.

* * *

It only took her 10 minutes to get to the Dal. She scans the room as she first enters, hoping not to recognize anyone.

"Thank Einstein," she whispers to no one.

She makes her way to the bar and orders a water. "Better not drink alcohol on an empty stomach or I might do something I'll regret later," she thinks to herself. Thankfully, the barkeep knows her very well and doesn't give her any slack for the conservative beverage.

Turning her back to the bar and placing her elbows on the top, she begins scanning the crowd again, but this time, she is looking for a different purpose. In the corner, she spots a beautiful woman with dark hair and dark eyes. The voluptuous woman is just her type. She stares intently at her with a smile on her face, hoping that the woman will stop talking to her friend and look her way.

"Come on, look over here," she purrs to herself. As if on cue, the woman turns her head and flashes Lauren a seductive smile. There is no doubt in Lauren's mind that she is interested. She practically has a neon sign over her head that says "I am ready, willing and able" Lauren blushes slightly and dips her head a few degrees but maintains eye contact for several minutes as the object of her attention continues chatting with her friend.

She turns around, downs her water in a few quick gulps and then makes her way over to the buxom brunette. It doesn't seem to matter how many times Lauren makes the first move, her nerves always go into hyperdrive when she tries to flirt with a beautiful woman. Her palms begin to sweat, her heart starts racing and her whole body seems to vibrate. Intellectually, she knows she should be confident. She's had more than enough practice and she has the necessary skill set to seduce this woman, but none of these facts seem to ease her anxiety. "I hate my biology," Lauren thinks as she finally stands in front of the woman in a red cocktail dress and luxurious hair that seemed to curl around her soft skin.

Lauren shakes her head for a second before she speaks so as to regain focus on the mission at hand. "Hello, I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, " she says to the brunette's companion. "but I was hoping I might be able to steal a few moments of your friend's time. I need to speak with her urgently. I promise not to monopolize her evening."

The pretty, petite blonde girl who was chatting with the lady in red smiles brightly and winks at her companion before replying, "That's okay. I have to freshen up my drink anyway and I think I see another friend at the end of the bar." She reaches her hand over to her friend and lightly taps her arm as she says, "We need to talk later. Give me a call."

The brunette simply nods her head as her friend walks away.

"Hi, my name is Lauren," she says as she extends her hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you, Lauren. Mine is Becky." She slowly reaches out and grab Lauren's hand without breaking her eye contact. Upon grasping her palm, Becky takes a sharp and sudden breath. The look on her face morphs from playful and flirtatious to serious and aroused.

Their hands do not part ways when names are exchanged. Instead, Lauren turns their hands so Becky's palm is pointing downward and she places her second hand on top of Becky's, stroking it lightly with her fingertips. The couple just stares at one another for a few seconds before Becky speaks again in a husky voice, a smile dancing on her lips. "What was so urgent that you needed to speak with me right away?"

"I wanted to hit on you before I lost my nerve." Lauren laughs softly as she stares down at their hands and bashfully, looks up again in a way that implies she is asking for forgiveness.

Becky laughs in response and takes a step closer so their faces were just inches apart. "I'm glad you did, but it wasn't very nice of you to lie to my friend like you did." Lauren's expression reflects confusion and she quickly stops stroking the other woman's hand. "Pardon?" she asks.

"You told my friend that you weren't going to monopolize my time and I have a feeling you are going to monopolize the rest of my evening." Becky says with a smirk. "At least, that is what I am hoping will happen anyway."

"Oh," Lauren says with a chuckle. She resumes gently touching the top of Becky's hand again. "Well, I feel it is important for me to be completely honest with you. I am a doctor and especially, right now, I am afraid I don't have much time to devote to being an adequate girlfriend or anything like that. In fact, tonight even, I don't even have much time to spend out and about because I have to go back to my lab in a few short hours." Lauren's speech escalates in pace and she drops her eyes back to their hands.

"At the same time, I have certain needs that I cannot deny. Needs of an intimate nature. We all do, to some degree, require sex to be happy and healthy, although some of us are needier than others. That is really beside the point, I guess. What I am trying to say is that if you are game...Well, game is a crass choice of words. If you are open to the idea, maybe, we could spend a little quality time together in a private setting, away from here. I could help you with your needs as well. I realize that we don't really know each other well. Actually, at all, and you may not be one to have casual relationships or maybe, you would be worried that I am some sort of serial killer, which I assure you I am not. In fact,..."

Lauren continues babbling until Becky interrupts her with a light kiss and says. "Lauren, Stop." Lauren's eyes get wide as she closes her mouth. Becky examines her closely. Did her eyes just flash from brown to blue? No, that can't be. "Yes, I will have sex with you. I made up my mind on that front when we first locked eyes."

"Really?" Lauren asks in a whisper.

"Yes, really. Come on. Let's get out of here." Becky takes Lauren's hand and starts dragging her out of the Dal.

"And Kenzi thinks Dr. Dork doesn't have game." Lauren says to herself.

When the two of them exit the bar, Becky quickly turns on Lauren and pushes her up against the wall with a passionate kiss. Lauren lets Becky take control at first, but she eventually flips the script and pushes Becky to the same wall as she grabs onto her face tightly. A minute or two passes while the new couple eagerly grope one another while making soft noises that echo in the dark alley.

Without warning, Lauren pulls back from the kiss to reveal a steady blue stream of chi that is flowing from the brunette. Becky grabs tightly onto Lauren's shoulders, her eyes snap open and anyone who happened to see the couple would think that Becky was having a heart attack. It takes a couple of seconds longer before Lauren realizes what she is doing and she cuts off the flow.

Becky's eyes close sleepily as she slumps to the ground with Lauren's assistance.

"Oops...Oh no...Oh, Becky," Lauren says as they make their slow journey to the ground. The first thing the Doctor does as they reach the dirty, wet asphalt is check for a pulse. "That's good." Lauren states as her panic dissipates and her doctor persona takes over.

She puts her hand up to her forehead for a second and pushes her hair away from her face as she looks at the night sky. "Damn it, Lauren," she says to herself.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't know what surprises me more...the fact that I spent time writing this chapter or that I actually posted it. I hope it was worth it. Please let me know if the concept is intriguing. All characters will have a twist so to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews. It's great to know that people are actually reading this stuff. To those who are wondering, Becky is not Bo. Lauren just has a type. I'm imagining the introduction of Bo to be a little more special. I'm still setting the scene a little before Bo makes her first appearance. Since all of the characters are changing a little, I need to lay the foundation for what is the same and what has changed. I think she will be introduced in the next chapter or in the one after that.

In response to some of the reviews, anything is really possible with this story. People can switch sides. Some people may be dead. It all depends on whether I think it would be interesting to explore the impact a change will have on the characters themselves. Will they do things the same or will they choose a different path? I have an idea on what I am going to do for the story a whole, but I haven't settled on the differences with a couple of the characters. For instance, there is one character that I have two ideas lined up for him/her and I just haven't decided which would be better. Luckily, I don't get to that character right away. If I end up going with what is in my head, this story could be quite long. I hope I can keep you guys engaged. Please keep sending reviews. Thanks all.

CHAPTER 2:

"Don't be awake. Don't be awake. Don't be awake," Lauren pleaded silently as she unlocked the door to the condo she shared with Kenzi. Lauren loved Kenzi like a sister, but she really was not in the mood for any teasing tonight. She cracked the door open slightly and did not see any light emerge from inside.

"Good." Lauren slowly opened the door further and peaked her head around the edge to be absolutely certain that no one was asleep on the sofa. When found the coast to be clear, she creeped inside and shut door behind her as quietly as possible. Without turning on the lights, she hung up her jacket and set her bag on the floor. Lauren didn't want to eat food in her bedroom, but the risk of waking up Kenzi was too great so she decided to break her number one rule and take her carry out meal upstairs with her.

Lauren tried not to look around the first floor of her condo as she proceeded to the stairs. She did not want to see the disaster area that Kenzi probably left in her wake because she would feel an overwhelming desire to repair the damage. If she didn't see it, then maybe, it didn't exist. Unfortunately, her plan was foiled as she tripped over something on her way to the steps. "Really, Kenzi?" Lauren whispered as she saw the rollerblade that had been left in her path.

To an outsider, the bond the two women have forged might seem illogical. The roomies really are as different as night and day. Lauren subscribes to the old adage "a place for everything and everything in its place" while Kenzi thinks everything has its place on the floor, on the sofa, on the kitchen island and anywhere else in their place. One is serious while the other is a constant smart ass. One is logical while the other is more emotionally based. One is set in her ways while the other is more of a free spirit.

Yet, despite all of their differences, they work well together and they have for over a year. Kenzi looks after Lauren. The young woman helps the doctor to loosen up, to take things less seriously and to get out of her head, when necessary. Kenzi might be quick with a joke and people probably think of her as immature, but Kenzi provides Lauren with great advice and is her rock in difficult times. For Kenzi, Lauren has proven herself to be a great listener with a wickedly dry sense of humor and truly kind soul. Kenzi knows that Lauren would give up her health, her happiness and even her life to help her friend. That kind of loyalty means the world to Kenzi. Plus, Lauren always finds a way to save Kenzi's ass when she gets into trouble and Kenzi gets into trouble a lot. In fact, Kenzi's knack for finding trouble is what introduced the pair in the first place.

Kenzi was in the middle of rebelling against her ultra rich, ultra conservative parents by dropping out of school, dressing like a goth and spending her future inheritance on having a good time at local raves. She craved something more than stuffy dinner parties and late morning brunches, but just as important, she desperately wanted to piss off her controlling parents who always had political aspirations for their daughter. Kenzi hated the fake, plastic world that her parents loved so dearly and wanted absolutely nothing to do with politics whatsoever. She desired freedom, the freedom to choose to how to live her own life.

Despite her silver spoon upbringing, Kenzi had a talent for blending into any environment, when she gave it a try and the dark, dank world of the streets was no exception. Everyone loved Kenzi, even the "street rats", as her parents liked to call them, who were normally very leery of newcomers. They taught her how to survive on the streets. They taught her how to pick locks, lift wallets, steal cars and evade the police when they break up a kickin' party.

Even with all this knowledge, it is easy for anyone to let their guard down when they feel like they are in no danger. That is what happened to Kenzi. She got sloppy and didn't notice the drug that was slipped into her drink at one of these kick ass parties. The guy that she was with at the time was supposedly a friend so she didn't think twice about letting him walk her to a crash pad at the first sign of wooziness. It wasn't until he started groping her in the alley and she found herself unable to push him away that her mistake was brought to light.

That is when fate intervened. At least, that is what Kenzi calls it. Lauren just thinks of it as an important event that resulted in a favorable outcome for them both. In spite of being Fae and having seen a lot of inexplicable things in her life, Lauren doesn't believe in fate or destiny. Things happen because of the choices we make and not due to some immeasurable, invisible force. Mysteries are simply questions that have not been answered yet. Everything can be explained, if we have the intelligence and fortitude to find the truth.

On the day that Lauren and Kenzi met, Lauren was making a house call to a very sick and very influential Fae elder. A Fae elder who liked living in a rough part of town because it offered a "cornucopia" of feeding options, as the old woman later explained to Lauren. The doctor was walking past an alley to the Fae's apartment building when she saw a nearly unconscious woman being beaten and her clothes ripped apart by a man twice her size. She hated being violent, but in this case, her instincts took control. Without much forethought, Lauren rushed to the woman's aid, throwing the man to a nearby wall and draining him of enough chi to make him pass out cold. Once she was sure that the man was not moving, she rushed to Kenzi's aid. Kenzi begged her not to take her to a hospital and in spite of her better judgment, she brought the woman home for treatment. Lauren likes to joke that she hasn't been able to get Kenzi to leave her condo ever since.

Although she was heavily medicated at the time, Kenzi saw what Lauren did to that guy and even grabbed video of it on her phone. That is how the Fae cat was let out of the bag, so to speak. She might have been a little scared of the good doctor at first, but she quickly accepted Lauren for her differences, even tried to convince her that being a succubus was awesome in a super hero kind of way. In fact, it was probably easier to get her to accept her Fae nature than it was to get her to respect her medical profession.

Lauren found Kenzi's admiration difficult to accept at first because she hated being a succubus. That was one of the reasons she became a doctor. She wanted to find a way to control her nature, to free herself from her biological needs so that she could hopefully, live a normal, human life one day. She despised the idea of taking people's chi, of using people for her sexual needs. She, secretly, felt like an primitive animal who prayed on innocent people. At least, by becoming a doctor, Lauren felt like she could give back and make amends for her nature, for her succubus ways. Lauren is the first one to agree with Kenzi when she says that being a succubus is wasted on the doctor because "she neither enjoys nor takes advantage of her shit", which is completely true.

While she may not agree with Kenzi that being a succubus is the "best fucking thing ever", Lauren deeply appreciates how Kenzi can make her feel special and yet normal all at the same time. She quickly came to see how desperately she needed someone fun in her life who would pull her out of her shell and have her back when something bad was happening in her life. If Lauren were to be honest, Kenzi saves Lauren's life by being her friend every bit as much as Lauren saved Kenzi's life that one "fateful" night.

It is difficult for Lauren to say how long the two have been roommates. After they met, Kenzi was always around. Lauren would find more and more of Kenzi's belongings in the condo, especially in her guest room. It didn't occur to her that Kenzi was moving in gradually until she found a lava lamp sitting on her coffee table. She didn't say anything to Kenzi about it, though. Lauren found a way to let it go. The tiki torch sticking out of a potted plant in the living room was a very difficult to accept, but she didn't say a word. The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was when she found the pristine walls of her guest room were littered with posters. Even then, Lauren just walked up to Kenzi and asked "Have you moved in?" Kenzi said "Yep. You need me, Doc...Real Bad. Now, let's chat about how we can make this place more livable..." The rest, as they say, is history.

For Kenzi, the starting point of their living situation was much more clear cut. They became roommates after Lauren came to her rescue. Kenzi just didn't finish moving into her new place until she broke free form the chains that her parents shacked on her from birth.

It was about a week after the incident. Kenzi's parents publicly disinherited her in front of the country club sect simply because she she showed up completely plastered to a high society fundraiser and aired her family's dirty laundry in front of the attendees. In the heat of the moment, Kenzi's father declared that she was a disappointment, a failure and that she was no longer a member of his family. To which, Kenzi told everyone that she was moving out of the family mansion and into a trailer at the other end of town with her lesbian lover. The news had its desired effect. Mouths dropped, whispering started and Kenzi's mother fainted. While her father fanned the face of her unconscious mother on the marbled tiled floor, Kenzi's parting words were "Bye, bitches. I hope I never see any of you back stabbing, shallow assholes ever again." That was how Kenzi cut off all ties to this part of her life.

Lauren tiptoed up the stairs and swiftly made it her bedroom without further incidents. Though her room was pitch black, she was able to adeptly find the knob, shut the door slowly and turn on her overhead light. The moment she turned around, she was greeted with a smiling Kenzi who jumped off her bed, phone in hand and shouted "Welcome home, Doc" as her feet slammed against the concrete floor, making an echoing noise. In her surprise, Lauren dropped her dinner on the floor and placed her hands on her chest as she exclaimed, "Shit, Kenzi. What the hell?"

Kenzi groans and stumbles forward so she can help Lauren pick up the dinner from the floor. "What does a girl have to do to get a fuck out of you, doc?" Because Lauren is not prone to cussing, Kenzi had been trying for weeks to get Lauren to say the word fuck so she could make it into a ring tone. Knowing her roommate's very well, Lauren was doing her very best to avoid giving her what she wanted.

Lauren did not miss a beat, "An elegant dinner, a massage and a 1564 copy of the Definitionum Medicarum Libri XXIIII and I'm all yours, Kenzi".

"Ha...Ha...Ha...and Ew" Kenzi said with little enthusiasm as she tried to scoop the food on the floor into the styrofoam container that once housed it.

"We both know that if I preferred an automatic over a stick, you would be the one doing the wooing, not me." Kenzi yelled as Lauren briefly left the room to retrieve some paper towels and cleaning solution from the hallway closet.

"You got me, Kenzi. I want you bad." Lauren said sarcastically as she tried her best to stifle a yawn.

"So, you are home a little sooner than I expected. Let me guess...You didn't find anyone who met your strict standards? I haven't met any other succubi, but I am pretty sure you are the pickiest chi sucker that ever lived."

"For your information, I met a very beautiful brunette, but things didn't exactly work out exactly as I had planned." Lauren said.

"You didn't try to pick her up the old fashioned way, did you? You know that you have no game. That's why fate gave you the whammy. Why do you refuse to use your whammy? Shit, Lauren, it is a wonder you don't starve to death." Kenzi said with all sincerity as she looked in the doctor's eyes.

"I will have you know that she was very interested in me and quite willing to take things to the next level. Whammy or no whammy" Lauren replied.

"So you didn't succu-sway her?" Kenzi said as she raised her eyebrow.

"I didn't say that, but I don't think I needed it this time." Lauren said in rebuttal.

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that, sweetie."

"I'm serious. She said she was interested in me before I even approached her." Lauren finished cleaning up the floor as Kenzi sat at the edge of her bed.

"Trust me. The moment you pulled out one of your nerdy, awkward pick up lines, you needed the help. Did you tell her the joke about nitrates?" Kenzi asked.

"No, I haven't used that one in a long time, Kenzi. I've been working on my approach and I think I am a lot better."

"If you are any better, it is because of my expert tutelage." Kenzi said as she blew on her fingernails and brushed them on her shirt.

Lauren rolled her eyes and blew the blonde hair from her forehead as she sat down next to her best friend on the bed. Kenzi turned a little to face her before continuing. "So, if you used your special succu-touch and didn't geek her to sleep, why are you here?"

"Well, we left the Dal together and she kissed me in the alleyway before we got to her car. Unfortunately, I got a little carried away and ..." Lauren's voice starts to drift off as she mumbles the rest of her sentence.

"Huh? What was that?" Kenzi interrupted "I think you are confusing me with the she-wolf. I don't have super doggy hearing. You need to speak up."

"I may have, accidentally, taken a little too much chi before we really got very far and she temporarily lost consciousness. She is fine, though. She just thinks that she had a little too much to drink. I called her a cab and she will be as right as rain in the morning." Lauren said looking at the floor.

"Uh Huh... Premature Chi Sucking. I thought that only happened to teenage incubbi and not to a 30 something succubus like yourself."

"Funny." Lauren replies giving her friend a scowl.

"This is why you need to feed more often, Lo-Lo. You could end up hurting someone and we both know how devastated you would feel about that."

"I know...I know. Logically speaking, I realize that I need an active sex life to remain healthy and I do find I am able to control my powers better when I have maintained a steady diet. It's just..."

"It's just that you have better things to do like save people from plagues or work on your important research projects than rocking some woman's world. I get ya." Kenzi said with an understanding nod.

"It's not just that, Kenzi." Lauren answered as she tilted her head to the ceiling to stare at nothing. "It just makes me feel so...empty inside." With that, Lauren lays her head on Kenzi's shoulder.

"Is my favorite doccubus a closeted romantic? Are you craving a little lurve connection?"

"Perhaps. It would be nice to connect with someone on a deeper level...Wait...What did you call me?" Lauren said as she turned to face her friend again.

"You like it? You are a doctor and a succubus. Put them together and you get doccubus. The guys at the Dal lost their shit when I came up with it." Kenzi answered with a large smile.

"I'm sure they did." Lauren chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "I must admit it is one of your better ones. It's better than Lo-Lo."

"Damn straight. Sometimes, I even impress myself, but...what the hell is wrong with Lo-Lo? It's fucking adorable" Kenzi looked at Lauren with an exaggerated angry face and the two women started laughing.

Kenzi patted Lauren's back before standing up. "Have no fear, succubum. Kenzi is here. Tomorrow night, you and I are going to paint the town red. No excuses and no work. I am going to get you laid whether you like or not and who knows, maybe, you will find that special someone." Kenzi declared with seemingly boundless energy.

"Oh no, Kenzi. That's okay, really. I can take care of things on my own." Lauren spoke in a slight panic as she stood to face her friend.

"Nope. You had plenty of chances and now, it is time for your gorgeous, charming, sexy fairy godmother to hook you up. We must prepare. A shopping trip is in order." Kenzi turns to walk out the door.

"Kenzi, I don't require any new clothes. I have an abundance of really lovely outfits and like I said, I was able to attract interest in someone. I just lost my head for a minute. Thank you for the offer. It means a lot." Lauren's face pleading with Kenzi to let it go.

"You have a ton of jeans, button ups and dresses, but I have memorized your wardrobe, sweetie, and you don't have any fuck me clothes. That is what you desperately need and I am going to finally do something about it. No arguments. That is the end of this discussion" Kenzi puts her index finger up to her mouth as she starts talking to herself "Hmmm... Maybe, some leather and stilettos...Shit, I've got a ton of prep work to do." She returns her attention to Lauren "Sleep tight, Doc. We have a ton to do in the next couple of days. Tootles." Kenzi runs out of the room, excited about her new mission.

Lauren squeezed her eyes tight as she flopped down on her bed and groaned. "Fuck" she whispered to herself. She heard Kenzi's heels clicking on the floor as she ran back to Lauren's room. "What was that?" Kenzi asked.

"Nothing, Kenzi. Good night." Lauren said as she opens her eyes and the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile. Kenzi may not have super doggy hearing, but her senses are quite extraordinary for a human.

Kenzi grumbles before responding. "I know you said it...Night" The young woman turns and as she walks away again, she says, "She does this just to screw with me. I'll get her. It's only a matter of time."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and encouragement. It helps with the insecurity. :) I'm trying to get to the really good parts as soon as possible, but this chapter is important in providing a little more insight into Lauren's state of mind.

In one review, it was pointed out that Lauren needs to accept who she is before she can really love someone. You are picking up on one of her biggest issues. Lauren is trying to reconcile what she knows at an intellectual level with what her heart wants. Plus, her character has a strong moral compass, which makes it even more difficult for her to accept what she has to do in order to survive. You also have another common human condition at play here of someone finding it easier to accept in others what one cannot accept in oneself. With any luck, her friends will be able to help her in her journey toward personal growth.

CHAPTER 3

Lauren fell into a deep sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. At some point during the night, though, an image began to penetrate the darkness of her mind. It was blurry at first, but eventually, the picture came into focus revealing the sweet, beautiful face of her first crush, Chris. The edges of Lauren's mouth to curl into a smile as she bunches her pillow a little tighter under her head.

It had been over 15 years since she last saw that face and yet, Lauren still remembered every small detail from her long eyelashes and deep blue eyes to the way her black, wavy hair would shine in the sun. In her dream, Chris was smiling at her as if she did not have a worry in the world and beckoning Lauren to come closer with her index finger. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she bit her bottom lip. They appeared to be in some unfamiliar park and Chris asks Lauren to sit down next her in front of a large oak. Suddenly, the dream switches perspective as she now observes Chris and a younger version of herself engrossed in conversation. Lauren is unable to hear exactly what was being said, but she can see the pure contentment wash over her own face as Chris becomes more animated in their discussion. Chris always had that effect on her.

When Lauren was 18, she was just another nameless, nerdy, shy girl at school who faded into the background. The only thing that made her stand out was her academic achievement and if she could have kept that under wraps too, she would have been happy. Cris was also very smart, but she was never pegged as being an intellectual and unlike Lauren, she was very outgoing. Without a doubt, some people were pulled into her atmosphere by her outward beauty, but it was her inner beauty that kept them coming back for more.

The first time that Chris approached Lauren and asked if she would like to be her study partner, Lauren was stunned into silence. Fortunately, Chris took her silence as approval and arranged their "date" without much coherent help from her new study partner. Their first get together started with some rambling babble from Lauren until Chris put her hand on her forearm and told her to just relax. For whatever reason, that was all Lauren needed. From this initial encounter forward, the two were inseparable, spending all of their free time talking, laughing and occasionally, studying. Looking back on it, Lauren doesn't even know how they were able to talk all the time. At that age, what did you really have to discuss? They always seemed to find a way, though.

Suddenly and without warning, the park was enveloped by darkness. Chris and her younger self reappeared fully clothed in bed facing one another. Lauren had replayed this scene in her head many times throughout the years in her daydreams and her nightmares so she knew exactly what was coming.

She tries to revolt against the dream by thinking "No, Stop it. It is just a dream. You can make it end", but the scene continued to unfold in spite of her protests. The small smile that was on Lauren's face as she slept was quickly erased as lines form on her forehead revealing signs of her discomfort. She violently turns over in the bed onto her back as one of her arms lands across her eyes in some subconscious attempt to shield her from the vision.

Where there was nothing but silence in the park, now Lauren could hear everything crystal clear. She was now looking through her own eyes directly at Chris, feeling everything, but unable to control her actions.

"You really don't know how amazing you are, do you, Lauren?" Chris raises her hand to trail her fingers lightly over the 18 year old Lauren's face, which elicits a blush in return. Instantly, her body temperature skyrockets with the movement of Chris's fingers across her skin.

The raven haired young woman smiles adoringly at Lauren. Her fingers trail lower to rest on Lauren's neck and she slowly inches herself closer until the two of them are mere inches apart. The warm breath on Lauren's face causes the blonde to seemingly lose all cognitive function. A tingling sensation begins to spread from her chest to her extremities and her heartbeat increases dramatically in response their close proximity.

"I want to tell you a secret, Lauren. I'm a little worried about how you might react, though." Chris closes her eyes tightly before looking back up at her again.

"You..." Finding it difficult to speak, the young Lauren clears her throat a little before whispering the rest of her sentence"...can tell me anything."

Pausing for what seemed like an eternity and just staring into Lauren's eyes, Chris appears to be carefully selecting her words prior to continuing. "I absolutely adore you." Closing the short distance between them, Chris leans in to place a kiss on Lauren's lips. The kiss is very soft, tentative and completely exhilarating.

Lauren quickly notices how the normally confident young woman is actually trembling at the contact. She also begins to register a strange sensation igniting within herself that felt like a hunger. The 18 year old Lauren thinks it is just hormones. Adult Lauren, trapped inside herself and unable to act, knows it is something far more powerful than teenage hormones. "No... not again...not again..." she begs even though no one can hear her.

Chris pulls back from the kiss after a few seconds and with just her facial expression, she is able to ask Lauren if she might feel the same way about her.

"It would be impossible for me not to feel the same, Chris. You are positively enthralling." Emboldened by Chris's words and actions, Lauren leans in for another kiss. This kiss is far less tentative because Lauren was trying to convey all of her emotions in that single act. As the two reveled in the feel of each other lips, the tension that they both felt melts away. Lauren moves her hands to either side of Chris's face to press them even closer together and to caress the soft skin she found there.

The two pull away after a minute to stare intensely into each others eyes. Chris flashes a shy smile and says "You've been watching too many vampire movies." They both laugh in response until Chris's expression turned very serious. "I was desperately hoping you might say something like that."

This time, the two women, move toward each other simultaneously. Lauren runs her tongue along Chris's bottom lip and quickly receives permission to deepen the kiss. With the passing of every second, the intensity of the kiss increases, along with the feeling of hunger that Lauren is experiencing. It was as if her very soul was begging for nourishment and she couldn't focus her mind on identifying if something was wrong. She just knew she needed to feel, touch and consume.

Swiftly and without much thought, Lauren slides on top of Chris. Both girls are struggling to breathe, but neither of them want to break apart. Chris moves the hand that was on Lauren's neck to the back of her head and placed her other hand on the blonde's hip. The feel of Chris's hand on her hip made Lauren gasp in between their kisses. Lauren starts sliding her thumbs back and forth on her new girlfriend's cheeks while Chris bucks her hips into Lauren in an attempt to position herself more comfortably on the bed. This movement triggered an intense heat to emanate from Lauren's hands accompanied by intermittent pulses of energy. Under any other circumstance, this strange feeling coming from her hands would have given Lauren pause. Today, at this moment, Lauren doesn't care. She is drowning in the moment.

"Run...get away...don't do this...please...you know something's not right" Lauren screams in her head, yet nothing changes. Everything continues to proceed just like it had 15 years ago. She is powerless to do anything about it. Lauren's sleeping form starts to show signs of life as she does her best to escape the nightmare that has her firmly in its grip. Tears slowly slide down her face while her legs move as if she were trying to run away.

In the meantime, the sounds of heavy breathing in her dream are overpowered by the soft moans coming from Chris who slowly guides her hands under Lauren's shirt. Feeling Chris's fingers wandering on her bare back triggers something in Lauren that the teenager can not explain. It was if a primal force took control over her body. Lauren is no longer holding Chris's face in a loving caress. Instead, she is locking her head in place to keep it from moving. She is no longer pressing her body against Chris's form to create a sense of physical intimacy. No, she is keeping the girl from escaping.

Pulling back from their kiss, Lauren sees this blue light streaming from Chris's mouth to her own. A look of surprise mixed with fear adorns Chris's face. She is able to release a slight gasp before the light achieves its maximum luminosity. Terror fills Lauren quickly as she realizes that she cannot pull away from her or make the light stop. Her hands begin to heat up again and pulse against Chris's face, which causes all of the tension in the body beneath her to seemingly evaporate.

For what felt like an eternity, the two teenagers are trapped in their respective positions on the bed as the light flowing between them gets fainter and fainter until it is eventually extinguished. Once the light is gone, the tension in Lauren's body leaves her suddenly. She gasps for air as if she had been holding her breath for several minutes and her eyes regain some focus.

Reclaiming her composure, Lauren anxiously examines her partner for signs of distress. The first thing she notices is the smile. It isn't her smile. Chris's smile is warm and inviting. Even though it didn't seem possible, this smile is lacking depth. It is emotionally empty or hollow and extremely disturbing. Shifting her attention to Chris's eyes, Lauren notices that she isn't blinking. That is when panic began to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Lauren checks for a pulse on Chris's neck and when she doesn't feel anything, she moves to her wrist, hoping for a different outcome. "No...No...Chris. Please don't be dead. Please, Chris. Please don't be dead. You can't be dead." Tears are steadily flowing from the young Lauren's eyes and dropping onto Chris's face, giving the illusion that she too has been crying.

"HELP...Somebody help me," teenage Lauren screams.

* * *

Lauren finally breaks free from the nightmare and sits up with a jerk. She is gasping for air. The crying she had been doing while she was asleep quickly transforms into sobbing. Instead of trying to keep it inside, she rests her head in her hands and succumbs to the sadness. No matter how many tears she sheds or how many years pass, the pain remains deep.

When it feels like she has no more tears to shed, Lauren collapses onto her pillow and stares at the ceiling. That's when new type of panic settles upon Lauren as she realizes that she feels far more rested than she should given the nightmare and the fact her alarm has not sounded. Something is wrong.

She turns to the nightstand so she can check the time and sees that she is three hours late for work. Lauren grabs her alarm clock to inspect it further before screaming "Kenzi". She frantically looks on her nightstand, her dresser and even the floor for signs of her cell phone. It is nowhere to be found.

"Kenzi" Lauren yells again as she runs out of her room, down the hallway, past Kenzi's open bedroom door and toward the small balcony leading to the stairway. Looking over the railing, Lauren yells at the dark haired girl girl who is spinning around on her rollerblades with headphones adorned singing along to some offensive rap song. "Kenzi, what the hell did you do with my cell phone?". Kenzi spotted the disheveled doctor in the corner of her eye and pulled off her headphones as soon as the question was yelled.

"Now, Doc, before you get mad..." Kenzi began with pleading eyes as she lays her headphones on the couch.

"That train has already left the station, Kenzi and it is going to run over you if you don't give me my damn cell phone." Lauren says with a slight edge to her voice.

"Shitballs. The doc is a metaphorical badass. Who knew?" Kenzi mutters to herself as she tries to untie her rollerblades. "I sent them a text to let them know that you would be late."

"Phone. Now." Lauren said.

"It's in the bottom drawer of my dresser under some T-shirts."

Lauren makes her way back to Kenzi's room as her roomy finishes removing her footwear and runs up the stairs to talk to the angry succubus. She hears Lauren speaking to someone as she reaches her bedroom door. The voices stop and Lauren stomps by Kenzi on her way back to her bedroom "Why would you do that Kenzi? You turned off my alarm too, didn't you?" Without waiting for a reply, Lauren continued "You know that I am not like an average employee. I can't just text in late whenever I want to. I have patients who need my help and an autopsy to finish. Shit. Hale and Dyson have probably already asked about my report."

"Breathe, Hun, just breathe, would you? You have been pulling late nights for the last month or two. If you don't take time to sleep, you won't be of any use to anyone. There's got to be someone around that place who can take care of things for a few hours while you re-charge." Kenzi implored.

"I know the short and long term consequences of sleep deprivation on the brain, Kenzi but I don't have the freedom to make my own decisions as long as she is on life support. The Ash could pull the plug on her at any time and for any reason."

"Listen, the Ash is a narcissistic, power-hungry, manipulative, arrogant, evil fucknut with primo taste in footwear, but she is not a blithering idiot. She is not going to throw away the one bit of leverage she has over you, simply because you are late for work one day." Kenzi says as she watches Lauren pick out her clothes for the day and hang them on the back of the door while the rest of her garments are placed on the dresser.

"What if the Ash has found some other way to keep me and line and decides that she is expendable? What if she thinks that killing her will be enough to make me fear for my life and fall into line? What if she is just having a bad day and wants to amuse herself? What if..." Lauren's tangent is cut short by Kenzi who grabs her by her shoulders.

"Okay...okay...I get it, Ms. Glass Half Empty. Nothing is off limits when it comes to the Ashhole. Now, you need to slow down that big brain of yours before it spontaneously combusts."

"No, Kenzi. I don't think you do get it." Lauren frees herself from Kenzi's grip and slips past her into the bathroom. Kenzi follows her, but positions herself in front of the mirror as Lauren readies herself for a quick shower.

"Let's say your theory is correct and she doesn't want to lose her advantage over me." Lauren steps into the shower and turns it on before continuing. "That doesn't stop her from throwing me into a dungeon until I forget what it is like to see the sun or beating me within an inch of my life, since she knows I can always be healed. I've explained to you why none of the Light Fae Elders will rush to my defense, if I am treated poorly. Hell, I'm lucky that I haven't been killed already given the mysterious circumstances surrounding my very existence. My medical knowledge is probably the only thing keeping me alive." Lauren rants.

Kenzi closes her eyes as she processes what the doctor has told her. "I'm sorry, Doc. I won't do that again, but you can't keep working around the clock like this or one day, they are going to find a pile of goo on the floor under a Dr. Lewis lab coat."

Lauren peeks from around the shower curtain to look at Kenzi who turns her head to face her. "I know you worry about me and it may not seem like it, but I do appreciate the fact that you look after me." She gives her a smile before dipping back behind the shower curtain.

The doctor's admission makes Kenzi smile to herself. "I think we need to be more aggressive in our attempts to cut your leash."

"Whenever I am not doing something for the Ash, I have been devoting my time to curing her. I haven't even spent any time in the last six months on improving upon my hunger injections. I can't seem to make any progress." Lauren said as she turns off the water, pulls back the curtain and leaves the shower.

"That's why I think it's time get Detective Kenzi on the case."

"Oh, no, Kenzi. I don't think that would be a good idea. It could be dangerous. Besides, it is really more of a medical mystery than anything else and that is my area of expertise." Lauren responds while she towels herself, wraps it around her body and heads back to the bedroom.

"First of all, I know how to be careful. You shouldn't underestimate me. Secondly, the Ashwipe probably had some voodoo done on her. Don't you think the timing of her coma was a little too convenient for it to be a freak accident?"

Lauren turns to face Kenzi who had followed her out of the bedroom. "I know that you are very capable Kenzi, but I worry about you as much as you worry about me." She turns to retrieve the garments on her dresser before continuing.

"I've considered the possibility that the Ash had a hand in her illness. After knowing the fae for so long, it wouldn't surprise me a bit. I just don't know how and until I can figure that out, I might as well be her pet."

"Well, I am going to do some very discrete sleuthing on my own and see what I can learn...You aren't the only one with skills" Kenzi pulls out her cell phone and starts tapping on the screen.

Lauren starts to say something, but Kenzi cuts her off "No discussion, Succumbum. Consider it a done deal." Knowing there is no use in trying to argue, Lauren smiles and starts putting on the clothes that were hanging on the back of the door.

"Oh, Doc, about that dungeon. You were just fucking with me, right? They don't really have one of those things with the stone walls, thick chains and slots in the door where they throw nasty porridge at you."

Lauren shakes her head in response to the question. "You watch too much TV, Kenzi, and yes, it in the recesses of the the light fae compound."

"No shit? Please tell me they have dragons down there too. That would be soooo awesome. I bet a baby dragon would be cute as hell."

"How old are you again?"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know you guys are probably looking forward to the introduction of Bo. I am anxious to get there myself, but I am going with the flow. This story is going to be more of a marathon than a sprint. I'm sorry, but to make it up to you, I made this chapter a little longer.

Oh, and with regard to who is on life support, it may be Nadia or it may be someone completely different. As far as whether Lauren will struggle with the idea of feeding off of humans, I'll just say that there are certain plot devices in the show that are no longer applicable because of the changes made to the characters. For instance, Lauren has known how to control her powers for longer than "Show Bo" (when she isn't exhausted, of course) and has spent more time studying her succubus nature. I won't go any further because I don't want to spoil the surprise. Needless to say, that part is a little different.

CHAPTER 4

Whether it be human or fae, Lauren has always been fascinated by the brain. Despite all of the advances in science and technology, the brain is still such a wonderful, albeit frustrating mystery. This thought struck Lauren on her way to work as she realized that her subconscious mind was trying to tell her something that her conscious mind did not know or did not want to know. Fifteen years ago, to the day, was the anniversary of Chris's death, the first crush that became her first kill. It also marked the beginning of a whole new chapter in her life as she was soon introduced into the world of the Fae.

After she screamed for help, the rest of that day and a few that followed are largely a blur for Lauren. She remembers Chris's father desperately attempting CPR while she called for help and begged for Chris to come back. She can recall seeing her girlfriend's mother collapse on the hospital floor in tears upon hearing the news of her daughters death. She distinctly remembers the puzzled look on the doctor's face when he said he could not provide them with any theories as to why a perfectly healthy teenager was suddenly dead.

A couple of days after Chris's death, Lauren went out for a walk hoping the fresh air could help her make some sense of it all. She found herself in a haze, making it impossible to sort out all of her emotions and focus on any of the thoughts that were bouncing around in her head. Looking back on it, Lauren knows that she was in shock, but back then, she just remembered feeling lost, confused, guilty and in tremendous pain.

If not for this fog, maybe, she would have noticed the men who were following her or the van that was parked nearby with its tinted windows and open door. Perhaps, they would not have caught her by surprise when they grabbed her arms and threw her inside the van. It's possible that if she had been a little sharper, Lauren could have reacted fast enough to stop someone from handcuffing her wrists behind her back, duct taping her mouth shut and forcing a black bag over her head. If she had not been in emotional distress, then maybe, just maybe, things would have turned out differently. Of course, different could mean a hard life on the run, leaving bodies in her wake and never getting a chance to become a doctor.

* * *

Growing up, Lauren lived in the suburbs of a major metropolitan city, not in some rural small town in the middle of nowhere. That's why Chris caught the immediate attention of the Light Fae who had resources in the hospital where she was pronounced dead. A couple of light fae detectives were sent to investigate the "incident" and apprehend the guilty party. It didn't take them long to trace the death back to Lauren, the last person to see her alive.

Once they apprehended the young female, they drove about an hour into town and took her straight to the Light Fae compound so she could be introduced to the Ash.

Evony Fleurette Marquise was part Mesmer, part Empath and to some, all bitch. She was born into one of the fae royal families and she was trained from the time she could walk to, one day, compete for the title of Ash. There was never any doubt that Evony was going to be a member of the Light Fae. To be any different would have gone against centuries of family tradition. She didn't think it really fit her well. It was kind of like wearing a dress that wasn't quite your style, but if that dress was the only option, then she was going to tear off the arms, rip the slit to her hip and make it her own. That is what she has done as the Ash. She has set her own course and fuck any pissants who think she is wrong.

When the officers arrived with their catch, they sat her down in the middle of a large room, pulled off the bag and callously tore the duct tape from her mouth. Evony looked shocked when Lauren was revealed to her. She motioned for one of the men to join her side. "You. Here. Now."

Once he reached her side, Evony whispered, "She looks like a child. How old is she?"

The man looked at Lauren and then back at Evony before responding. "We think she is 18."

"What type of Fae are her parents?"

"They are human."

"Are you sure about that?"

"We had the wolf sniff them out and he is positive."

"Hmmm." Evony starts to talk to herself as if her lackey was not standing a couple of feet away from her. She turns to face Lauren and stares intently at the young girl, trying to weed through her emotions. "Interesting. She is mourning over that human. It must have been an accident."

Without turning back to the man, Evony tells him "When we are done with her, I want you to look into the identity of her real parents."

"Yes, Ash. Right away."

"Fetch me a chair."

"Yes, ma'am." The lackey turns and jogs over to the nearest chair and moves it a couple of feet away from Lauren so the Ash could look at her straight in the face.

Evony saunters over to the chair and sits down like she was Queen of the world. Before speaking, she slowly crosses her legs in front of Lauren and lays her arms on the rests. "Tell me the name of your clan."

A puzzled expression appears on Lauren's face for a second, but it is quickly replaced with one of steely determination. "Take me home."

"Perhaps you couldn't tell by the handcuffs and the big, burly men surrounding you, but you, my dear, are really in no position to demand anything. Now, be a good girl and tell me the name of your clan."

"Perhaps," Lauren spat out distastefully. "I would be more inclined toward acting like a good girl if I had not been kidnapped, handcuffed and driven to some strange place that looks like it is home to some religious cult or was designed by some crazy sci-fi nut." On a roll and ignoring the little voice in the back of her head telling her not to push her luck, Lauren continued. "Perhaps," Lauren said again. "you might get my cooperation if you stopped asking stupid questions in a condescending tone, demonstrated a modicum of empathy for my situation and told me what the hell is going on."

Evony smiles at her speech. "You have spunk. I like that." Her smile disappears as quickly as it was formed. "Except when that spunk is directed at me, then it kind of pisses me off."

Deciding that she was probably going to die anyway and had nothing to lose, Lauren does not let Evony go unchallenged. "Getting kidnapped kind of pisses me off so I guess we are even." Lauren pauses to take a deep, steadying breath. "So, why don't you tell me why am I here?"

For a brief second, Evony thought about making the annoying teenager punch herself in her own face, but then she reconsidered. She needed information and violence should probably come as her last resort until she has a clearer picture of the situation. "I am the Ash in this territory and you have been brought to the Light Fae compound because we believe you are responsible for the death of a human by the name of..." Evony snaps her fingers a couple of times and one of her foot soldiers says "Christine Jacobson."

Lauren involuntarily flinches at the sound of Chris's name before regaining her composure.

Tapping into her empath abilities, Evony can sense Lauren's confusion mixed in with her grief. "You have no idea what I mean when I talk about the Light Fae or the Dark Fae, do you?"

Lauren shakes her head no as she continues to provide the beautiful woman in front of her with her best "drop dead" look.

A loud noise interrupts the silence of the grand room. It was the sound of double doors slamming against the wall as they were flung open by a man dressed entirely in black.

"Hello, Lovelies. The party can officially get started because The Morrigan has finally arrived." The dapper man exclaimed in a thick British accent.

"Fuck. Can my day get any worse?" Evony muttered with a huff. The Ash stood up upon the new guest's arrival, put on a fake smile and shot daggers at another gentleman who chased after him.

"I'm sorry Ash. He insisted on seeing the prisoner."

"I will deal with you later." Evony said with a saccharine sweet voice and a look that should have made the second new arrival drop dead on the spot.

In reaction to the loud intrusion on what should have been a private affair, the eyes of one of the guards standing across from Lauren changed to a shade of yellow and some of his teeth morphed into fangs. Lauren shook her head and closed her eyes as if she was trying to shake a hallucination from her head. That's when the growl erupted from deep within his body.

Evony turned to face the guard. "Down, boy." She then quickly shifts her attention back to the man who had interrupted her interrogation. "No need to get territorial. We are all friends here, right Vex?"

"I thought we were, your Ashness, but then I heard through the grapevine that the Light have themselves an undocumented Fae who killed a human in Dark Fae territory and I began to question the quality of our friendship."

"The human was brought to a Light Fae hospital, making it my business."

"I think you bloody well know that the dark should have been notified about the kill and the arrest. Vex makes his way to the Ash and wraps his arms around her shoulders, which makes her tense up instantly.

"But, I will forgive you this time, my Love. After all, that is what besties do for each other. They accept each other's flaws and forget each other's mistakes."

"What have you done, Vex?"

"What makes you think I have done anything wrong? I am appalled that you think so little of me." He lets her go so he can rest his hand over his heart.

"Save the theatrics, Vex and spill it."

"There is nothing to spill. Besides, we have more important matters to discuss like what to do with nasty Faes who hand over what's left of their meals to humans."

He walks closer to Lauren. "Is this the buggar causing all of our problems?" His eyes wander over her body, causing Lauren's anger to spike.

Vex steps back and says, in a low tone "She's a looker. I wouldn't mind teaching her a lesson or two."

"You are revolting and I am not easily revolted." Evony turns her gaze from Lauren to the Morrigan.

"I'm hurt." Vex pretends to wipe a tear from his eye and flashes a frown.

"No, you're not."

"You're right. I am not. I love being me." He smiles broadly.

"And I would LOVE to prolong our playful banter, really, I would but I am quite busy so if we could get back to the girl."

"Ah, yes...he naughty, naughty girl. What is she, Light or Dark?"

"It looks like she might be neither. She hasn't gone through The Gathering and the people who claim to be her parents are human."

"Well, isn't that intriguing."

"Very." Evony waves to someone who has been lurking in a dark corner of the room.

A small grandmotherly type figure emerges from the shadows and walks towards the two leaders of the Fae, flashing Lauren a friendly smile along the way.

When the lab coat clad woman reaches the Ash, Evony gestures in her direction. "Dr. Everett here will take the girl for an exam and we will know more when she is done."

Dr. Everett nods her head yes, moves over to Lauren and leans down so she can almost look eye-to-eye with the young girl. "Hello, sweetie, please come with me." She grabs her arm as she whispers in her ear "Don't worry. It will be okay."

* * *

Lauren and Dr. Everett meander through a maze of hallways until they reach a room with an exam table. The doctor walks over to a cabinet and pulls out a gown, handing it to Lauren. She turns her back to the girl to to grab a clipboard as she says. "Please take off your shirt and put this on with the opening in the back."

"No." Lauren responds defiantly.

Dr. Everett turns around and looks at Lauren who continues talking "You are not my physician. I won't get undressed for some perfect stranger just because she asks nicely."

"I know that all of this must be very confusing for you, but I can help. I can give you answers. If you let me conduct an exam, I should be able to tell you what happened to your friend."

Lauren contemplates what Dr. Everett says for a minute before she begins unbuttoning her shirt.

Dr. Everett turns around to give the young girl some privacy. "So, dear, do you have any questions that you would like to ask me?"

"I have a million questions."

"Well, we better get started then." Dr. Everett chuckles, breaking the tension to some degree. "Let's start with question one."

"What are the Fae?"

For the next half hour, while Dr. Everett conducts her testing, she talks about the Fae, the difference between Light and Dark as well as the Great War. When she finishes, she tells Lauren that she can get dressed again. Dr. Everett walks over to a computer and starts typing on the keyboard.

"What kind of fae are you?" Lauren asks as she buttons up her shirt.

The fae doctor smiles. "Just so you know, the Fae do not consider it to be polite to ask about someone's species type."

"Why? If it is such a great thing to be Fae, why wouldn't they want others to know?"

Dr. Everett looks at the ceiling, contemplating her answer. "I'm not sure when the practice started. I assume it could have been as a form of self-preservation. If you tell the wrong Fae about what you are, then they can use their knowledge of your species to attack your weaknesses."

"Either that or they are secretly ashamed of how they leech off of humans." Lauren bites on her bottom lip as she contemplates the issue further.

Dr. Everett turns around quickly with an angry expression on her face. "Most Light Fae do NOT leech on humans." The emphatic nature of Dr. Everett's response startles Lauren as she jerks to attention. "I'm sorry to scare you, my dear." Her face softens before she continues. "It's just one of my hot button issues, that's all."

Dr. Everett gives Lauren a genuine smile to reassure the teenager that she is not really angry at her. "Many Light Fae have a symbiotic relationship with humans. I like to think that they provide us with the sustenance we need and we take care of them, providing them with protection or other services that they need."

"What about the Dark?"

"The Dark..." Dr. Everett breathes deeply. "The Dark see humans as food and forms of entertainment.

"Mmmm." Lauren looks at her feet and shakes her head slightly from side-to-side.

"Back to your original question, though, I am a type of fae that can read people's minds."

Lauren's eyes go wide in panic as she lifts her head. "I don't want you to read my thoughts."

"Okay, dear. From here on out, I will only read your mind if you grant me permission."

Lauren pressed her lips together and gave a small groan. She knew what that meant. Dr. Everett had already read her mind. "Great," she thinks. "You should always wait for permission." Lauren says to Dr. Everett.

"Sometimes, hun, it is a necessity to help people. Plus, that's how I stay alive, like how you will need to feed off of sexual energy."

"I guess telepathy could be very handy." Lauren reluctantly admits. "Wouldn't it be maddening to know what everyone is thinking all the time?"

Dr. Everett laughs a little. "Not any more. I have learned to control my powers. I only hear people's thoughts when I want to.

"That's what will happen when you pick a side. You will be trained on how to control your feeding and manage your hunger. A whole new world of possibilities will be opened up to you."

"What do you think they would do if I refused to pick a side?" Lauren pouts a little, reminding Dr. Everett that this smart, mature girl is still just a teenager. "I just want to go home and live a normal life."

"I know, sweetie." The doctor pauses to choose her words carefully. "The primary concern of the Ash and the Morrigan is keeping knowledge of the Fae hidden from humans. They cannot allow someone loose who cannot control her powers. Without learning control, you will kill again and it could end up being someone you love."

"Too late" Lauren whispers plaintively. "Could you help me learn how to gain control? No one would have to know."

"Violating the wishes of the Ash could result in my death. I'm embarrassed to admit that I am not courageous enough to put myself in such peril. I'm sorry, my dear. I want to help you. I do. I just can't." Dr. Everett is now the one who looks at her shoes as her shame shows. "Besides, even if I were to agree to help you, they will find other means to compel you to pick a side."

"My parents and my little sister?"

"That is a distinct possibility. They know where you live and how you feel about them, I'm afraid."

"I can't believe this is happening." Lauren's eyes start to fill with tears that she tries desperately to contain.

I know sweetie. I'm sorry."

* * *

Lauren and the doctor eventually return back to the first meeting room where the Ash and the Morrigan waited anxiously. She has Lauren sit in a chair before she approaches the two leaders.

"Dr. Everett, what did you find?" Evony asks first.

Without looking once at Vex, Dr. Everett says "She is a succubus with no markings to indicate membership in any clan. I searched through her thoughts and can assure you that she had no knowledge of the Fae before being brought here today."

"We should put her through the test." Vex blurts out.

Knowing that Evony does not care if anyone insults the Morrigan, let alone contradict him in public, Dr. Everett responds. "Ash, the girl has no combat training. She is just an innocent babe with absolutely no knowledge of our ways."

"Don't you have a prostate to finger or something? Why don't you let the people who matter talk?" Vex stares at the doctor with a look of total hatred.

"This girl would be a TREMENDOUS asset to either the Light Fae or the Dark. She is a genius. It would be a shame to lose such a brilliant mind because her parents abandoned her to be raised by a couple of humans." Dr. Everett returns Vex's angry stare.

Evony keeps moving her eyes from one person to the other, watching them argue with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"I think we should kill her now to send a message to all the Fae that if you let your spawns run amuck and expose everyone to risk, they will be put down like rabid dogs."

"It's a shame the previous Morrigan didn't have that philosophy when you were a child."

"You do realize that I can turn you into a pile of goo. With very little effort on my part, the cleaning crew would have to mop you off the floor."

Dr. Everett turns her attention back to Evony. "What if her parents hid her from the Fae? If you kill her, you may never know the reason why."

"Dr. Everett is right. I, for one, would like to know more. Wouldn't you?" she says to Vex.

"Bloody hell."

The three Fae stand in silence for a minute. Vex is eventually the one who breaks the stalemate. "We each get 10 minutes alone with her to pitch our side. I want to go second."

"Agreed." Evony says. "Why don't you wait in the adjoining room and I will have someone come get you when it is your turn."

"There better by cable."

"But of course."

"Lovely. And to think that some fae call you an inbred, piranha with a permanent stick up your ass."

Vex leans in closer to Evony and says softly. "They obviously don't know you like I do." He then makes his way over to the other room before Evony can fire back.

"You may have the last word but I will have the last laugh. Game on, shit for brains." Evony says to herself.

"You are going down, bitch." Vex whispers before he shuts the door.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: It is official. I have buckled into peer pressure. I'm not proud of it, but apparently, I am weak. :) I ended up re-writing this chapter just so I could get to the introduction of Bo a little quicker. I originally had a couple of other reveals planned, but I think I have figured out how to integrate these threads a little later in the story. Plus, I increased the size of the chapter. I hope you guys like it. Fingers crossed. Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

Someone's review said that they are waiting for the perfect chapter. Geez, talk about setting the bar a little high. Did I happen to mention that this is my first attempt at fiction?

CHAPTER 5

It seemed only right that a 10 minute car ride to the compound would take 45 minutes on a day in which Lauren was already late. Normally, Lauren would welcome the extra time because it would give her an opportunity for self-reflection. On this day, it mostly served to amp up her anxiety to new levels. For a split second, Lauren contemplated just driving out of town to places unknown, but the thought was fleeting. She could never abandon those who depend upon her.

Jogging from the parking lot to the front door of the compound and down a hallway to the entrance of her lab, Lauren stopped for a second to catch her breath before she confidently stepped through the threshold. Upon entering, her eyes darted from side-to-side to find a nurse who could help her prepare for the day. Fortunately for Lauren, the first person she saw was Nadia, a human who worked the day shift as a nurse slash lab assistant. Everyone in the lab had to serve multiple functions given how understaffed they were and Nadia was one of the rare few who was competent at all of her duties. Lauren could not say the same about some of the others around there, Fae or Human.

"Oh, good, Nadia. Am I glad to see you."

"The feeling is mutual, Dr. Lewis." Nadia says with a smile.

"Oh, well, um...I was hoping I could get your help this morning, if you are not working on something urgent."

"You are always my number one priority Dr. Lewis."

Lauren laughs a little. "Funny." She turns towards her office forcing Nadia to take quick steps to catch up to her.

"Would you check the tests that I started yesterday on the Kyle Williams case to see if they are done running?"

"Absolutely."

The two quickly make their way into Lauren's office where Lauren promptly sets down her stuff, grabs her lab coat from the hook and makes her way around her desk to look at the pile of folders that have materialized overnight. "Also, would you please see if Dr. Everett has an opening for me this afternoon? I just need about ten minutes of her time."

"Of course. Anything else?"

"Uh, well, do you happen to know if anyone was looking for me this morning?"

"Not to my knowledge. Were you expecting someone?"

"No. I was just wondering if the Ash needed to see me."

"I have not heard anything."

"That's good. "

"I must say I almost passed out when someone told me that you weren't here this morning. I don't think I have ever known you to call in late." Nadia said with a playful smile.

"It's been a long time." Lauren rolled her eyes and smiled a little herself.

"You've been burning the candle at both ends. I'm proud of you for taking a little time. Maybe, eventually, you might consider taking an entire day to yourself."

"Perhaps. One day. Thank you, Nadia, for your help."

"Any time, Dr. Lewis."

Nadia walked out the door, leaving Lauren to contemplate what she had said.

"Maybe, Kenzi wasn't wrong after all and I really was overreacting about coming in late." Lauren thinks to herself. "If she turns out to be right, she will never let me live it down. That would make twice in the last two days. The dungeon might be preferable to her gloating." Lauren smiles at that thought.

* * *

Lauren spent the next few hours finishing up her autopsy and documenting her findings. She felt fairly confident that her findings would help further the investigation so she had Nadia contact the lead detective right away to let him know the results were available. While she waited for the detectives to arrive, Lauren had to force herself to spend time in her office sifting through a mound of paperwork that was left on her desk.

Filling out forms, reviewing financial data and performing other administrative like tasks for the lab were like pure torture for Lauren. That's probably why Evony insisted upon her being the one to do them. All she wanted to do was burn through the stack quickly so she could get back to her research projects.

Lauren was on her next to last document when a knock on the door interrupted her progress.

"Hey, Doc. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I hear you have some info on our Williams case."

Lauren looks up from her desk and gives her friend a warm smile. "Are you kidding? You are doing me a favor. I'm looking for any excuse to escape this paperwork."

"I can totally relate, Doc. I have a pile on my desk right now that I've been trying to pawn off on my partner for days now." says Detective Hale Santiago with a laugh.

In Lauren's opinion, Hale was truly one of the good guys and she felt fortunate to consider him a friend. Many of the Fae she encountered, especially the older ones, had a superiority complex, but not Hale. He only claimed to be better than people in jest and he never looked down on humans. Like Lauren, Hale thought the archaic and at times, offensive practices of the Fae needed to be reformed. His views on redefining fae/human relations, in particular, were quite progressive. Occasionally, he would stick his neck out on the line for a good cause, even if it took a lot of encouragement from both her and Kenzi.

If you were lucky enough to become a member of Hale's pack, you could trust Hale with your life. He has proven that, time and time again to Lauren, since the day he helped kidnap her for the Ash. After she chose a side, Hale apologized to Lauren for scaring her and gave her his number in case she needed his help. As she grew up in the Fae world, Hale was there like a big brother, giving her advice, whether she wanted it or not.

Even though Hale was a quality guy, he wasn't perfect. He had a tendency to be a bit on the bossy side, always rushing in to take control even if he wasn't needed. Lauren was able excuse that behavior as being a side effect to him being a wolf shifter and an alpha wolf shifter at that. It didn't make his unwelcome interference any less frustrating.

Then, there was the fact that he always found some reason to take off his shirt. His exhibitionism did nothing for Lauren and in fact, annoyed her to some degree. Kenzi, on the other hand, was a huge fan and threatened to "bitch slap" her bestie "if she ever ruined it for her."

"Speaking of your partner, did you leave him behind at the precinct?" Lauren asked with a hopeful tone in her voice.

"Nah...He should be along any sec." Hale did not pick up on Lauren's tone of voice. Instead, he looked over his shoulder to see if he could spot his partner. When Hale found him, he cleared his throat loudly and jerked his head in an attempt to hurry him along. "It looks like he might be hitting on one of your nurses again."

"Damn it, Hale. I thought you talked to him about that."

"I did, Doc...I swear...but you know he is a player."

"Good afternoon, Lauren. Nice to see you again." Detective Dyson Thornwood said with a smile.

Detective Dyson Thornwood was a conundrum for Lauren. There are times in which he could be supportive and kind, but there are other times in which Lauren wanted to punch him in the face. In fact, Lauren has quite literally punched him in the face twice while under the influence of Kenzi and alcohol in retaliation for one of Dyson's sexist or anti-human comments. Lauren abhors needless violence so she doesn't like turning into THAT person when she is around Dyson.

One of the reasons why the two haven't been able to bond is because Dyson seems to have this need to compete with Lauren. This desire to compete and the jealousy that Dyson exhibits if things don't go his way originated about five years ago when he had eyes for his old partner and his old partner had eyes for the doctor. The triangle, of sorts, brought out the worst out of Dyson, which in turn, brought out the worst in Lauren. It took a while for the two to find common ground after the triangle became a non-issue.

He looked at her for a second before furrowing his brow. "You look upset. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I just have this reoccurring condition called Coccydynia, but it never lasts long. I'm sure I will be better by the time you two leave."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Dyson replies in what is meant to be a sincere voice, yet Lauren can detect is really hollow.

"I've had to deal with it for years so I am used to it." Lauren smiles smugly, never taking her eyes off of Dyson. "Now, Dyson, what have I told you about leaving the nurses alone?"

"I was just being friendly."

"Well, stop being friendly and start acting like yourself."

Hale begins laughing.

Dyson squints at Lauren before asking "When did you turn into a comedian?"

Hale responds on Lauren's behalf "I think that is the Kenzi effect."

* * *

The detectives follow the doctor into the room where Kyle Williams was being kept. "So, I'm actually surprised this case came to your attention. Without running very specific tests, it would look like any other gruesome murder. What tipped you off?"

"Thankfully, our killer is a fucking idiot. There is a camera in the lobby of his apartment building and you must walk past it to leave unless you choose to climb down the fire escape. Guess who walked out of the building, never to return, after his death? Only the dead guy himself. At first, the human cops thought he might have a twin, but nope, he was an only child. What made the cops really lose their shit was the fact that the dead guy was wearing the same clothes as one of Kyle's neighbors who had entered the building a couple of hours earlier. Yet, they already knew that neighbor was at work the whole morning with tons of eye witnesses." Hale explained.

Lauren nods her head in understanding. "You think it was probably a humanoid shifter."

"It seems like the only logical conclusion." Dyson replied.

"Well, he didn't work alone. Are there any unidentified people in that video of yours?" Lauren wondered.

"A couple...Why? What did you find?" Hale's eyes opened wide in reaction to Lauren's question.

"It appears like Mr. Williams was tortured for some for information and when that information was not forthcoming, the killer called in a Kirin to have the memories retrieved. I found trace physical evidence in the brain along with an energy signature that had not dissipated by the time the autopsy was completed. The details are in the report, but as you can see here, these stab wounds were made by someone with medical training. They were intended to inflict pain, but not to kill. His fingernails and some of his toes were also removed while he was still alive. It was not a swift death." Lauren placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder and looked into his face. "Whatever he kept a secret must have meant a lot to him."

She looked up at the detectives a couple of seconds later. "I know that Mr. Williams was found with duct tape on his mouth, but I am surprised that the killer would risk torturing him in an apartment complex."

"The building was largely empty at that time of day. Most of the people were at work or too far away to hear any muffled screams." Hale's voice was soft and he appeared to be deep in thought.

"Hmmm...The killer must have done some homework before attacking when he did." Lauren's stare returns to Kyle.

"It would seem that way. It's a good thing the lobby camera was so well hidden" Dyson responded.

"Do you know if the killer is right or left handed?" Hale asked, hoping that it would help to eventually narrow down the suspect pool.

"If it was a humanoid shifter, then it doesn't matter. Nighty-nine percent of the time, they are ambidextrous. I did notate the hand that was used to create each of the wounds in the report, though, just in case." Lauren's eyes return to Hale's face as she struggles to decide on whether she should make a point of something or not.

"That's good. Anything else? Hale asks, suspecting there is something else on the doctor's mind.

"There was one small thing. It is probably nothing, but I would be remice if I didn't point it out. Mr. Williams appears to have intentionally spread some of his own blood on his right heel with his thumb. A picture of it is in the file.

Hale flips upon the file and rummages through the contents until he finds the picture in question. "Hmmm..." He looks at it for a minute before passing it over to Dyson who studies it for a few seconds and then hands it back.

"Thanks for pointing that out. We will keep that in mind." Hale pauses and then says "I've gotta ask you, Doc. What made you look for evidence of a Kirin?"

"When I saw that he was tortured, I tried to imagine what a Fae might do as a backup plan if Mr. Williams was not cooperative. I then tailored my testing appropriately." Lauren rubbed her eyes.

"That was some great thinking, Lauren." Dyson said with sincere eyes, causing Lauren to think "Hmmm...Maybe, we have rounded a corner."

"I guess there is reason to keep you around after all." he added.

"One step forward and one step back" Lauren thought, shaking her head and smiling.

"Gee, thanks, Dyson. Now, if we can only figure out what purpose you serve."

"Ha...Ha..." Dyson says with a flat tone. In spite of himself, he does smile at the remark.

"Okay. That's enough kiddies. Excellent job as always, Doc" Hale nods in Lauren's direction.

"Thanks, Hale."

"Come on partner." Hale lightly hits Dyson in the chest before heading towards the door. Dyson nods his head, says "Good to see you again" and then follows his partner out of view.

* * *

A couple of hours after the detectives left, Lauren knocked on the partially opened door to Dr. Everett's office. Lauren's mentor was sitting behind her desk reading something on her tablet. Lauren smiled warmly at the grandmotherly like woman sitting before her. Lauren knocked a second time when it appeared that she had not heard her first attempt. This time, Dr. Everett looked up, smiled wide and took off her glasses. "Lauren! Come in, come in." Dr. Everett stood from her chair and walked around the desk to give Lauren a hug. Lauren wasn't a prolific hugger, but Dr. Everett was like family to her, making the comforting gesture welcomed.

"Isn't it sad that we have to make appointments with each other nowadays, especially considering we are just down the hall from one another?" Dr. Everett leaves her hands on Lauren's arms as she breaks the hug.

"It has been a very hectic the last few months."

"That it has."

"I doubt you came here just to chat, child. What is on your mind?"

Lauren blushed a little in embarrassment. She knows that she should make more of an effort to socialize with her good friend. It seems like the only time she stops by for a visit is to ask for a favor. "I'm sorry that I don't make more time to talk about life."

"Hush, now. I am just as guilty. We are quite similar in that way." At about the same time, both women placed their hands in the pockets of their lab coats, which prompted them to laugh at themselves.

"See? We obviously have spent too much time together as it is or you would not have adopted some of my bad habits." Dr. Everett says as they laugh.

"You are probably right."

"So, what can I do for you?"

"If you find yourself with any spare time, I was hoping you might do a favor for me."

"Sure, sweetie, anything."

"I haven't been able to work on my succubus injections in a long time and I was wondering if you would be willing to take a look at my notes to see if you have any ideas on how to improve upon them."

"Are these the ones that curb your hunger?"

"No, I think I have done all that I can with them. Actually, I decided to tackle the problem from a different angle. They are intended to amplify the benefits of the Chi and sexual energy that I consume by making my body process them more efficiently and effectively. I can stay fully charged for three days if I am with a human and a little over a week if I am with a Fae. My healing capabilities have accelerated as well. I think there is still a lot of room for improvement, but I haven't been able to spend any time on them for the last six months or so."

"Wow. That is amazing Lauren. I'm not sure you will be able to do much better than that. In fact, I'm astounded that you were able to accomplish what you have."

"Well,l if you don't believe that all things are possible, then very little IS possible."

"How very Plato of you." Both of them laugh a little. Lauren rolls her eyes at herself while Dr. Everett drops her head for a minute.

"I doubt that I will be able to do very much. Not everyone is a genius like you, Lauren."

"It would be good to get a second opinion. Besides, it will be comforting to know that something is being done with them, even if I can't work on them myself. It's driving me crazy to just have this project sitting there with nothing being done on it."

"I understand."

Silence engulfs them as Dr. Everett looks deeply into her pupil's eyes. "I find it curious as to when you choose to follow your heart as opposed to your mind, Lauren."

"I'm not sure I follow." Lauren furrows her brow as she tries to understand Dr. Everett's train of thought.

"From an intellectual standpoint, the benefits of being a succubus far outweigh the drawbacks. You have kept people alive when they are on death's door by giving them your Chi, you have helped the police crack cases with your power of persuasion, you have saved lives like that of Kenzi with your strength and your ability to weaken people by taking their Chi, yet, despite all of this, you try to suppress your true nature through medication. You don't embrace the magnificent creature that you are."

"What is wrong with wanting to eliminate some of the drawbacks? I know what I can do, but I also know the kind of harm that I can do as well. I want to be able to have my cake and eat it too so to speak." Lauren pauses for a second to think "Boy, am I glad I said that to Dr. Everett instead of Kenzi because I can't imagine the kind of dirty comeback she would have slung at me for that one." She smiles before continuing.

Suddenly, a voice booms within the office. "Dr. Everett, your next patient is ready to see you."

Dr. Everett turns to press a button on the desk. "Thank you, Nadia. Please tell her that I will be there in a couple of minutes."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Well, that is my cue. Thank you, Dr. Everett for taking a look at those."

"No problem, Dear."

Lauren begins to walk out the door when she turns around. "By the way, Dr. Everett...you probably didn't realize it, but in a couple of days, it will have been 15 years from the day we first met."

"Really? Has it been that long? Time certainly does fly."

"I want you know...um...I'm not sure how I would have survived if it were not for you. I'm glad you came into my life."

Dr. Everett took a deep breath as tears started to flood her eyes. Lauren was not one for grand sentimental declarations so when she does say something from the heart, Dr. Everett finds it very moving.

"You have been like a daughter to me, Lauren. I wouldn't trade my relationship with you for anything in this world."

Lauren smiles and walks out the door.

Dr. Everett leans against her desk and places her hand over her heart. The happiness that Lauren gave her with her heartfelt confession is gradually replaced with guilt. Dr. Everett's mind flashes back to the first time she betrayed the young woman that she now adores.

* * *

"I think I have her figured out, but I don't want to take any risks. How do I ensure she selects the Light?" Evony asks Dr. Everett.

"Please, Ash, don't ask me to compromise doctor/patient confidentiality. It is a code of honor that I hold dear. I'm sure that with your exceptional skills of persuasion you can easily..."

"Cut the bullshit, Dr. Everett. I am not asking you to help me. I am commanding you to give me what I want. For all we know, this girl could be of vital important to the Light Fae or to the Fae as a whole and I DO NOT want Vex to get his sleazy hands on her. I will have her, by any means necessary, even if that means I have to break oaths or torture sweet, little doctors to do it. Make no mistake."

Dr. Everett sighs and shoves her hands into her lab coat. She looks at the teenager for a brief couple of seconds with guilt in her eyes. In turn, Lauren looks at her puzzled. Dr. Everett turns her focus to the ceiling as she responds. "The girl believes very strongly in common human ideals of honesty, integrity and loyalty. She is a caretaker, which means that she always wants to help those who need it and she has a strong moral compass that she follows without regard to her own personal wellbeing. She places nothing in higher esteem than family and all she wants is to live a normal life with a family of her own one day."

"Now, was that so hard? Really, Dr. Everett. You can be such a do-gooder sometimes."

"Oh, did you give her some background on the Fae and prepare her for the choice?"

"Yes, Ash."

"Excellent. It's now time for me to perform some magic."

* * *

On her way back from Dr. Everett's office, Lauren felt an unusual presence drawing her attention to to the lab's front doors. Having worked in the same lab with the same people for many years, it was not uncommon for Lauren to sense when something was different without even looking. Lauren's sixth sense alerted her when one of the detectives dropped by for a surprise visit or when one of the lab techs accidentally left a specimen on a table. The draw that Lauren experienced on this day and at this time, however, was more intense than anything she had ever known, causing her to seek out the source immediately.

That's when she saw her. A woman whose beauty made Lauren stop in her tracks and forget her biological imperative to breathe. As a succubus, Lauren has laid eyes upon many beautiful women and was fortunate enough to share a passionate encounter with several of them. Some of these women could have even been models in magazines, but all of them paled in comparison to the incredibly sensual woman who was talking to one of the lab techs at this very moment.

All noise in the lab faded away as Lauren focused intensely on examining the enchanting mystery woman before her. She had wavy brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders like silk and her soulful brown eyes sparkled with a playfulness that was mesmerizing. When she laughed or her smile widened, a dimple emerged that Lauren found completely irresistible. She could easily imagine someone wanting to spend an entire lifetime trying to make the woman smile just to see that dimple appear on her face.

The woman unexpectedly shifted a little as she talked to the lab technician, prompting Lauren's eyes to begin their long journey from her flawless face, down her graceful neck to her curvy body. She was dressed in a tight white, button up shirt with the first few buttons undone to show her ample assets, a jacket that was tailored to fit snug around her waist, a short miniskirt that revealed long, shapely legs and heels that complemented her outfit perfectly. How this woman was able to project the sweetness of "a girl next door" while still being sexy as hell, Lauren could not fathom, but she pulled it off quite well.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring, Lauren caught herself. She walked over to a table, placed the clipboard she was holding on top, flipped the first few sheets over and pretended to write something important on a blank sheet, all the while stealing glances at the luscious brunette.

"Get a grip on yourself, Lewis." Lauren thought. She starts scribbling down the names of elements from the periodic table. Lauren's always had a weakness brunettes, but this one had her completely disheveled.

Unable to resist the urge, she looked back at the stranger. This time, her gaze fell upon her lips which caused Lauren to imagine how those lips might feel against her own as she slowly moved her fingers through the brunette's hair. Lauren looked back down at her paper, squeezed her eyes and lightly shook her head, mortified at her inability to control her wandering eyes.

Suddenly, it dawned on her that maybe her behavior might be attributed to a more scientific cause. The woman might be some type of Fae that excretes pheromones which call out to her inner succubus or maybe, she possessed some sort of trinket or cast some sort of spell that has her hypnotized in a sense. Lauren went into full blown doctor mode, documenting her symptoms next to the elements. Elevated heart rate? Check. Increased respiration? Check. Flushed cheeks? Check.

Another movement from the mystery woman caught Lauren's attention again. The woman placed her hand on the lab tech's arm in an obvious attempt to flirt with him. She looks back down at her clipboard as a wave of disappointment overwhelms her. "Wait. Am I jealous? I can't be jealous. Hell, I don't even know this woman." Lauren says to herself

A realization suddenly hit Lauren causing her to quickly look back in the couple's direction. "Sorry, Mike. Her eyes may say she is a 7, but her aura is only burning at a 2. You have no shot with her." A smile tugs at the edges of Lauren lips as this thought runs through her mind. She continues documenting her symptoms. "Damn. I really was jealous. What is wrong with me?"

The need to peek at her face again compelled Lauren to abandon her list, but this time, the object of her inexplicable desire turned to gaze in her direction.

Without thinking, Lauren quickly returned her attention back to the piece of paper. "Shit! She caught me staring." She said to herself. "Hold on..Did her aura spike when she looked at me?"

"Someone may have walked behind me. I've been so obsessed with her that I probably wouldn't notice fireworks exploding in the trash can next to this desk." Lauren considered. She cautiously looks back in the direction of her obsession who keeps moving her line of sight from the lab technician to Lauren and back again. "Maybe, I have a stain on my shirt or she thinks she knows me from somewhere." Lauren postulates.

Finding her courage, Lauren gives her the most flirtatious smile in her arsenal, the one that Kenzi nicknamed the panty dropper. Of course, Kenzi was probably exaggerating to help Lauren with her "mojo" when she said it, but at this moment, she really didn't care. In response, the brunette flashes a smile, complete with dimple, and accompanied by a wink. Lauren's smile widened with excitement as she continued to work on her list some more.

"Someone must have tampered with the thermostat in here. It is burning up." Lauren flipped her hair out of her face as she made a mental note to check the setting and talk to the staff. "They know better than that."

Looking up for what seemed like the hundredth time, she sees the sexy stranger is still smiling in her direction, though her eyes dart from her to the lab tech. Her aura is burning at a consistently higher level than before and she is rocking slightly. Lauren is practically giddy at the idea that she might be interested in her, which perplexes Lauren because she doesn't do giddy.

The lab tech turns to walk away from his conversational partner. Lauren decides its the perfect time to gather intelligence.

"Mike, may I have a minute of your time?"

"Sure." Clearly irritated by the blonde's intrusion, Mike walked to the desk and stood next to Lauren.

"What's wrong?" Mike had never been one of Lauren's biggest fans so his attitude was always one notch below friendly. It didn't really bother the doctor because he wasn't on her favorites list either.

"Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to know more about our visitor."

"Oh, she is a new detective on the police force. Bo...Bo...somebody. I can't remember her name. Anyway, Hale misplaced the Williams file and he sent her to fetch another copy."

"Really? That's odd. Did you look at her badge or call Hale to confirm?"

Mike rolled his eyes and slouched a little. "No, why would I do that?"

Lauren did not have the patience to deal with his attitude right now. "I'm sure the head of security would be happy to answer that question for you."

"Listen, Dr. Lewis. She is just a human, a smokin' hot human, but still a weak, insignificant human. She couldn't take out a human male let alone a Fae. Even if she were capable, I doubt she is going to take down the Light Fae using an autopsy report on some meat sack who got hacked to death."

"Human? She can't be human, can she? So much for my Fae pheromone theory." Lauren notes to herself. Without warning and with an impact similar to a slap in the face, the meaning of Mike's entire sentence sinks in a little more, making Lauren royally pissed. She wasn't quite sure if the anger was for the man who was slaughtered or for this mystery woman with whom she felt this strange connection. Lauren only knew that she wanted to grab his testicles and shove them up his ass, as Kenzi would say.

Lauren walks around Mike and then turns to him again. Mike pivots in place to face her with a quizzical expression. She did not want the brunette to see the death stare that she was going to level at him. With a cold, calculating, low tone of voice, Lauren says "That meat sack, as you call him, demonstrated more courage in the last couple of hours of his life, than you will EVER show in centuries of living. As far that gorgeous woman over there is concerned, I am fairly certain, without even knowing her, that it would take very little effort on her part to outsmart someone as intellectually deficient as you."

Mike's expression turns deadly, but Lauren refuses to back down. She forcefully shoves her hands in her lab coat pockets as she continues to shoot daggers in his direction. "I'll take care of our visitor. You can go about your business." Mike doesn't walk away, instead he inches forward. Lauren refuses to be intimidated, though. Emphasizing each word, she says "you are excused." He stands there for an additional minute before slowly turning and walking away.

When Mike is out of sight, Lauren takes a deep, calming breath, pulls down her shirt, smooths out her lab coat, grabs her clipboard and makes her way to the woman of her recent desire, thinking "I can't believe I just did that."

Once she is face-to-face with Bo, Lauren says "Hello, my name is Dr. Lauren Lewis." She extends her hand in greeting, trying her best to minimize her fear induced shaking.

* * *

A/N: Coccydynia is a medical term for when someone has a pain in his/her ass. I know some of you are thinking "I knew it...I knew it...She is human." As is the case with any Science Fiction story, nothing is as it seems. [Play ominous music now]


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

A/N: Thank you all for the tremendous support. I really do appreciate it. I'm glad to hear that I don't have to produce a perfect chapter. :D I'm trying my best, but I haven't quite found the groove yet.

I struggled a little bit with this chapter. I think it is because it has our first real introduction to Bo and I wanted it to be a good one. I hope it turned out okay. Please let me know what you think. Any theories on where things are headed?

**A little earlier...**

Bo knew that someone had entered the main room in the lab. She felt it, but she had to focus. She was on a mission to sweet talk a file out of this guy and she needed to concentrate. At first, it was a little difficult to tell if her flirting was working because he seemed more interested in staring at the girls than in listening to what she had to say.

Eventually, Mike gave her the subtle clues she needed to relax a little. She had him firmly wrapped around her little finger. Unfortunately for Bo, she picked a talker. She had to hear about his overbearing, controlling boss and how he was the best employee in the lab, but no one appreciated him. He went on and on about his many assets, each of which was highlight with stories casting himself as the hero. She tried to cut him off more than once, but there seemed to be no stopping him. It was during his third or forth story when her mind and her eyes began to wander.

Bo doesn't really have a type. Blonde or brunette, male or female, blue eyes or brown, she doesn't care. A person just needs to speak to her and the woman she spotted at a nearby table did just that and more. Bo's heart began to pound in her chest and the nerves that she had extinguished earlier returned in full force. The blonde seemed to be writing something important down on a clipboard, giving Bo the freedom to ogle her in between customary glances back to her conversational partner.

Wearing grey, pinstriped dress pants, a navy button down dress shirt and a standard issue white lab coat, the long, lean woman with wavy blonde hair was Bo's textbook definition of delicious. As she was unabashedly checking her out, the alluring blonde glanced up from her documents for a few seconds, revealing more of herself to Bo. While the moment was short-lived, Bo saw enough to take her breath away. Sure, she had a beautiful face with glowing skin and pink, kissable lips, but what really spoke to her were her honey-brown eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars.

Bo could tell by the blush on her face and a nearly imperceptible nod of the head that the blonde was flustered about being caught looking at her, which caused Bo to smile wider. "Busted," she thought to herself. Bo couldn't help finding the woman's embarrassment to be completely adorable.

Even though Mike was still talking a mile a minute, Bo didn't want to miss another shy glance in her direction so she spent less time looking at him and more time smiling in the direction of the majestic stranger. Mike didn't provide any signs that he minded. He continued recounting his gallant tales with great enthusiasm so Bo wasn't worried about jeopardizing her con.

"Don't be shy. You know you want another peek." Bo says to herself and as if on cue, the blonde glances up again. To Bo's pleasant surprise, the mystery woman didn't turn away quickly like she did the first time. Instead, she flashed a sultry smile, which got Bo's adrenaline pumping. Unable to back away from a good flirt, Bo not only returned the smile, she upped the ante a little by throwing in a quick wink. It was obvious that the wink had the desired effect as the blonde's smile broadened before she returned her eyes to her work. Bo now had two missions, getting a file from Mike and a number from her blonde goddess.

While Bo might not have been exactly listening to Mike, she was able to sense he was running out of steam. It wouldn't be too much longer before he would be fetching the information she needed and Bo would be able to work on getting the digits she wanted. "I wonder if she is a doctor...She looks like it...Hmmm...I am feeling a little warm. I wonder if she would be willing to give me a thorough exam." Bo smiles even more with this thought.

That's when something unexpected happened. She locked eyes with the woman she had been admiring and she was able to see beyond the superficial beauty to what was underneath. As a police officer and a detective, she had stared into the eyes of many greedy, angry, dishonest, despicable people, searching for clues on how to get to the truth. It was rare for her to gaze upon someone and see the kindness that pointed toward a compassionate soul. She found it mesmerizing. If Mike had not indicated that he was going to run and get her file, she could have stared into those eyes all day long.

As it was, Mike walked away, drawing the other woman's attention toward him. She watched the two of them talking and it was clear that they were not the best of friends. Even if she had not spent years on the street or time on the police force, Bo could tell their discussion was going to end badly.

After the blonde doctor rounded the table and Mike turned to face her, Bo contemplated interrupting the two of them so she could send Mike on his way. Bo was impetuous by nature, making it very difficult for her to let things play out when she knew danger was looming. She balled up her hands into fists as Mike became more aggressive in his body language. "Focus on the mission, Dennis." Bo reminded herself. Given her lack of knowledge about this facility and the dubious nature of her visit, she had to resist the urge to intervene or else, she could ruin everything.

For whatever reason, Bo was finding it difficult to comply with what her mind was telling her. She had this intense compulsion to run to this stranger's side and protect her from harm. "I'm sure she can take care of herself." Bo reasoned. "I'm not some damn knight in shining armor." All of Bo's reasoning went out the door when Mike inched closer to the doctor with a look that could kill. "I'll find another way to get the info," she decided. She took a couple of significant steps towards the pair when Mike suddenly stomped away, causing Bo to stop dead in her tracks. "Close call." she thought.

Bo watched the blonde straighten her clothes, grab her clipboard and amble over to where she was standing. "Showtime." Bo grinned as the blonde came near.

Once they were face-to-face, the blonde says "Hello, my name is Dr. Lauren Lewis." and extends her hand in greeting. Bo eyes slowly scan the lovely woman before her, starting with her feet and stopping when they lock on those twinkling brown eyes that radiate warmth.

Her eyes went on this same journey a couple of times while Dr. Lewis was across the room, but she had this need to take advantage of their close proximity, which offered her whole a new perspective on the woman's beauty. Plus, Bo wanted to observe her reaction to being openly appreciated.

The doctor did not disappoint. Lauren's breath hitched as she watched the brunette examine her body with such a burning intensity. The blush on her cheeks intensified and her head dipped a little as if she wanted to look away, but couldn't. Instead, she just continued gazing into Bo's face through her eyelashes. Her modest reaction to such blazon scrutiny made the doctor all the more endearing in Bo's mind.

Bo confidently reaches out to shake the woman's hand and says "My name is Detective Isabeau Dennis, but everyone calls me Bo."

Feeling the warmth of Bo's hand against her own and the soft fingers on her skin caused Lauren to temporarily lose some of her cognitive function. An electrical impulse felt like it traveled from her hand, up her arm and throughout the rest of her body. Spontaneous combustion seemed like a real possibility given that she was already hyper due to her nervousness and on fire from her apparent arousal. "If she can do this to me with just a handshake..." Lauren thought. "Ugh. Don't go there. You are a medical professional at work for goodness sake."

Bo was not fairing much better. The sensation of flesh meeting flesh had her stomach fluttering and every cell in her body seemed to be tingling. Goosebumps appeared on her arms. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath in hopes of settling herself. Seeing this woman across the room was one thing, but touching her, even in such an innocent way, was a little overwhelming. Bo was somewhat baffled by her reaction. She's been far more intimate with people and felt much less. Bo clears her throat to break the self imposed trance and internally admonishes herself "Get a grip. You've got this."

The handshake lasted longer than what was typical, but neither participant noticed or cared. Eventually, Bo found the willpower to give Lauren's hand a slight squeeze before letting it go. Both women instantly missed the connection as soon as it was severed. For Lauren, though, it did help her to escape her catatonic state and find her voice again.

"Um...Hello, Bo. It is very nice to meet you. You may call me Lauren."

"The feeling is mutual, Lauren." Bo lowered the tone and volume of her voice "I must confess. I was hoping you might rescue me from Mike...He's kind of a tool."

Lauren laughs a little and flips her hair back off her face. "Yes, well, I hear he grows on you after a while...That's what people tell me anyway."

"Hmmm...I'm not so sure about that. How long have you known him?"

"About ten years now."

"Has he grown on you?"

"In a sense." Lauren cocks her head to the side a bit, giving some more thought to her question. "A little like a flesh eating disease."

Bo puts her hand up to her mouth as a way of hiding her amusement. "I see." Bo laughs heartily.

Lauren smiles brightly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be that way. I'm sure his mother loves him dearly."

"So, he has an attitude that only a mother could love?" The two laugh a little more.

"Let me guess. He's not making a copy of the file that I need. Is he?"

"No. No, he's not, but that is my fault. I told him that I would give you what you need...I mean...I would handle you. Hmmm...This isn't coming out exactly right. Sometimes, my words and my thoughts don't..."

"That's okay. I know what you mean." Bo lays a hand on Lauren's forearm, which prompts the blonde to take a deep breath and smile.

"Please come with me to my office and let's see what I can do to assist."

"That would be great. Thank you."

As the two walked single file toward Lauren's office, the blonde starts to give herself a pep talk. "Okay, Lauren, you can do this. You are a succubus. You of all people should be able to talk with a gorgeous woman. Whatever you do, just do not picture her naked."

Lauren turned around in front of her desk, when they reached her office, and said to herself "Shit. What did I just tell you. Do NOT picture her naked." It was too late. Images of a naked Bo started dancing seductively through her head. Lauren's blushing reached a whole new level.

Bo on the other hand, was not suffering from the same struggles. "I bet she looks amazing under those clothes." She closes her eyes for a few seconds as an image comes to mind. "Definitely... amazing." She opens her eyes again and smiles impishly.

Lauren finds a way to focus her wandering mind by concentrating on the task at hand. "Okay." She claps her hands together. "First, I'm going to need to see your badge." When Bo doesn't reach for it right away, Lauren adds a "Please".

"Oh...Yea...Sure." She reaches in her jacket and pulls out a badge. Bo hands it over to Lauren, making sure to lightly touch the doctor's hand as she does. Lauren, for the most part, was able to mask any impact the touch had on her. Her "shields" as Kenzi often likes to call them were raised. Lauren, herself, prefers to think of it as entering her doctor mode. Either way, the lack of a physical response put Bo on edge. "Not good. Not good. Not good." ran through Bo's mind repeatedly.

Lauren examines the badge closely looking for any signs of forgery and ensuring it resembles the one that she has seen Hale wave about on many occasions. Finding nothing wrong, she hands the badge back to the detective with a smile. "Very good. Now...May I take a look at the request form?"

"Request form?" Bo asks the doctor while thinking, "Fuck."

"Yes, it's standard protocol for the lead detective to fill out a form when a duplicate file is requested."

"I'm sorry. I'm new to this precinct. I'm still trying to get up to speed on all the rules or else I would have noticed. It probably just slipped Hale's mind."

"Hmmm...Misplacing the file and forgetting the form...It is very uncharacteristic of Hale to do these sorts of things."

"I don't know him that well, but I think he is just stressed out about some high profile cases on his desk." Bo's voice gets a little husky as she leans in a little closer to Lauren. "Is there some way we can just get around this little bureaucratic mess? I can always bring you a completed form later."

Things were starting to unravel for Bo, yet she wasn't going to give up easily. "I probably should have put a little more thinking into this plan" Bo internally scolded herself. Despite years of training, Bo still has a tendency to jump into action, head first, without much forethought. It has bitten her on the ass on many occasions and even got her shot, yet it still tends to be her natural instinct.

"I think we can come up with something." Lauren smiles to Bo, which temporarily relieves her anxiety. "Dodged a bullet." Bo thought.

Her relief is short-lived because just then, Lauren pulls out her cell phone. "I'll just give Hale a quick phone call and once I get his verbal approval, the autopsy report is all yours."

"SHIT" Bo's mind begins to panic. She steps dangerously close to the doctor, places a hand on the one holding the cell phone and whispers, "Hale is probably in the middle of some interviews right now. I would hate to disturb him."

Lauren's shields start to weaken as her body goes into sensory overload. The warm breath on her face, the smell of her perfume and the feel of a gentle hand on hers, were enough to cause her synapses to fire all at once. She found herself trembling involuntarily at the sensation.

Bo couldn't help but be pleased with the apparent impact she was having on the blonde. It wasn't enough, though, to distract Lauren from her duty. "I don't have a choice. Confidentiality in these cases is paramount. Hale will just have to be mad at me." Lauren looks down at her phone and starts to raise it to her face, when Bo pushes it back down again."

"Please. Please don't." Bo pleads with the doctor.

Lauren leans forward even closer. This time, it is Bo who is finding it difficult to control her inner reactions to the woman so near that her lips were just an inch or two away from hers. If not for her intense fear that she was about to be outed, she might have closed the gap. Instead, she watches as Lauren reaches out to close the door to her office and return to her original position.

"Hale didn't send you, did he?" Lauren asks as she looks intently in Bo's eyes, willing her to tell the truth. In the meantime, Bo's mind is racing trying to figure out a way of this situation. The doctor can see the fear and panic in Bo's face. With her best soothing voice possible, Lauren encourages Bo to be honest "Please. You can tell me the truth."

Bo looks deeply into Lauren's eyes as if she were trying to see into her very soul. Once she had the answer she was seeking, she closed her eyes tightly, dipped her head in defeat and shook her head no.

While she had a sneaking suspicion that Bo was not what she seemed, Lauren couldn't hide her disappointment. She didn't want to be right. Lauren had this deep down need to believe in her.

"Why are you here?" Lauren gently lifts the brunette's head with her index finger.

"I...um" Bo begins, finding it difficult to select her words. "Kyle was my best friend. He was there for me, during some of my darkest days. In fact.." Bo pauses as her emotions start getting the better of her. She thought that she had it all under control. She had planned on handling this investigation like any other, logical and clear minded. As she stands before the doctor, she finds her walls crumbling. Her eyes begin to well up with tears and she furrows her brow in an attempt to keep them at bay. She clears a throat a little in the hope that she can continue, "He has been the only real constant in my life.." Squinting her eyes a little to look at the doctor again and causing some tears to stream down her cheeks, Bo sets her jaw before saying, "I need to find the person who murdered him."

Seeing the pain and desperation in Bo's eyes made Lauren drop her shields. She puts her cell phone away and reaches out to grab the detective's hand to give it a slight pulse, in the hopes of easing her pain in some way. With a soft tone, she says, "Hale and Dyson are exceptional detectives. You should leave it in their hands. If anyone can find his killer, they can."

Bo shook her head no and closed her eyes for a minute. "I'm sure they are good at what they do, but I have seen too many of these cases go unsolved. I can't let that happen here." Resuming her eye contact with Lauren, Bo's voice cracked a little as she continued, "I wasn't always a great friend to Kyle. I was wrapped up in my own pain a lot of the time. I was so self-absorbed. He deserved much better." Bo took a deep breath before finishing, "The least I can do is get him the justice he deserves, no matter what the cost."

Still holding Bo's hand, Lauren notices the pain in Bo's face gradually be replaced with steely determination. "You aren't going to let them do their jobs, are you?" Lauren smiles a little.

"Of course, I will. They are just going to have a little help along the way...whether they want it or not." Bo grins, which serves as a stark contrast to the tears still falling down her face.

She doesn't know this woman at all and yet, Lauren felt this incredible desire to hug all her pain away. It was all she could do to hold herself back. With her free hand, she turned toward her desk and grabbed a tissue, offering it then to Bo who accepted it gratefully. Bo wiped the tears off her face as Lauren watched and waited. When it looked like Bo had recovered, Lauren said "I can't give you the file."

Bo nodded her head slowly yes. "I know. I get it."

"I'm very sorry that your friend was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife by an ambidextrious assailant as he was bound and gagged with duct tape to a dining room chair." Lauren knew that Bo wasn't going to give up on the case. If Lauren gave her a little information, then maybe, Bo would allow her to help. If Bo allows her to help, then Lauren can watch over her and protect her from whatever killed her friend. "I know it is of little consolation, but your friend did put up a fight."

Bo could have kissed the blonde right then and there. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Bo finally felt some level of hope. She would have to brainstorm a little about what Lauren shared. It might not lead to any answers. That didn't matter as much at this point. She just appreciated that Lauren gave her some sort of direction. Now, it was time to ask the big question. "So, does this mean you aren't going to turn me in for what I did?" Bo's eyes went back to pleading.

"For what? A simple misunderstanding? I don't think that is necessary." Lauren gave Bo's hand a squeeze and smiled reassuringly.

Bo let out some air that she had been holding. "Thanks again," she says with a big smile.

The two stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds until Lauren broke the silence. "I was just wondering...This lab is only used in special cases and is not well publicized. How did you know Kyle would be here?"

"Hmm...At the risk of sounding cocky, I am quite good at what I do." Bo responds.

"Ah, I see." Heat rises in Lauren's cheeks. A thousand inappropriate comments pop into her head all at once, but she chooses to ignore them. Instead, she smirks at Bo and changes the subject. "I hate to say this, but it might be best if you are not seen here for a while. There are a lot of noisy people who roam these halls and they tend to ask a lot questions."

A flash of disappointment appears on Bo's face. "I understand."

Lauren lets go of Bo's hand, turns toward her desk, and grabs some paper along with a pen. She starts writing something on the paper. "If you need any help or just want to talk, please let me know." She finishes writing and hands the slip of paper to Bo who looks down at it to see Lauren's cell phone number.

Bo smiles brightly at Lauren and slips the paper into her jacket pocket. "I will. I promise." She lightly touches Lauren's forearm. "Besides, I feel like I owe you a drink for being so kind to me."

"You don't owe me anything." Lauren looks down a little as she says this, not one to accept appreciation easily.

Bo bends down a little to catch Lauren's eyes. "Yes, I do." She lets her hand slip off the doctor's forearm and makes her way to the office door. Before Bo exits, Lauren interrupts her. "Bo". Bo turns to the blonde and Lauren continues "Please be careful and do call me if you need anything." Bo flashes her dimple, making Lauren a little weak in the knees. "I will and don't worry, we will talk again soon." With that, she was gone.

* * *

Lauren stands in her office, rooted to one spot, for what seemed like hours as she processes what has just happened. No one has ever impacted her like this detective. Eventually, Lauren regained her senses and walked around her desk to sit in her chair. She retrieves her cell phone and dials up Hale.

On the third ring, Hale answers. "Hey, Doc. What's shakin'?"

Lauren rolls her eyes at Hale's hello. "Only the samples in my centrifuge." Her response caused Hale to laugh a little. "I was wondering if you know a Detective Bo Dennis."

"Um, Yea. She has been a colossal pain in my ass lately. Why do you ask?"

"I bumped into her today and I was wondering what you knew about her."

"She transferred recently from another county and she has been pulling out all the stops trying to get her hands on the Williams case. Please tell me she did not try to pump you for information." Lauren had to smile. Before Kenzi entered her life, that comment would not have caused any dirty responses to enter her mind like it does now. She decided against indulging in such adolescent behavior and chose, instead, to divert the conversation before Hale got upset.

"I've got to run, Hale. Do you think you will be at the Dal later tonight?"

"You know...I was just thinking I could go for a nice cold beer. How do you read my mind like that, Doc?"

"I guess we have spent too much time together over the years."

"Apparently so...Hey, Doc, while you're at it, why don't you bringing lil' mama along with you." Lauren couldn't help laughing. Kenzi and Hale were always flirting with each other, but neither one of them would make a move. What made the situation all the more comical was the fact that Kenzi was always pushing her to date and take a chance on romantic relationships, yet she was unable to do that herself, even when the perfect guy was always buying her shots at the Dal.

"I'll give her a call and see if she feels like going out tonight."

Hale laughed heartily. "Come on, Doc. This is Kenzi we are talking about. She is always in the mood for drinks."

"I don't know, Hale. She has been busy lately with something or someone lately. She may not be available."

There was silence on the other end for a small amount of time. "Really? What? Who?" Hale probably recognized that his tone was less than carefree because he quickly added. "I just don't want our girl to get hurt."

"Sure, that's it." Lauren thought. "I know, Hale. I don't either, but Kenzi is a smart girl. She can take care of herself."

"I know she is, Doc. It's just...trouble seems to find her a LOT."

Lauren is not one to interfere in the personal lives of others. Yet, Lauren really wants to break her own personal rule and help her two friends find happiness with each other. She decides that now is not the time. "You are right about that. Perhaps, I can coax her to the bar with promises of free drinks from a certain wolf-man."

"Ha...That is a given, Doc. Does lil' mama ever pay for drinks when I am around?" Hale asks.

Lauren laughs a little. " You are right. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Alright, Doc. Usual time?"

"Yes, I'll be there, with a possible friend in tow."

"Sounds like a plan...Later."

"See you soon."

* * *

After hanging up with Hale, Lauren's next call was to her best friend who picked up rather quickly.

"Hola, Chica." Kenzi replied with enthusiasm. "How is my favorite Doccubus doing? Did the boss rip her a new one for calling in late?"

"Still with the Doccubus thing?"

"Hellz yea. I don't see the novelty wearing off any time soon with that one, Doc. It is pretty killer. I may even start a website or somethin'."

Lauren palms her head. "Great." she says with little enthusiasm "Going back to your question, No, I haven't seen the Ash so nothing has come of it."

"See...I told you so...You worried your big brain over nothing. It's all good."

"Or she has been away on business for all we know."

"You are such a worry wart. It's all good."

"I hope you are right. I'm actually calling to see if you would like to the Dal tonight for some drinks?"

"You are kidding me, right? How long have we known each other? Hmmm? Asking me if I want go to the Dal is like asking asking me if I want to go to a shoe sale for designer kicks or if I want to drive an insanely expensive sports car or if I want to have sex with some amazingly hot, incredibly famous actor or if I want to..."

"I get it Kenzi." Lauren interrupts knowing that Kenzi could continue on that rant all day long.

"Listen, Doc. You never have to ask me if I want to go to a bar. The answer will always be yes."

"My mistake."

"Big one, Doc...While we are at it, why don't we see if anyone else is interested in joining us for some adult beverages?"

Lauren smirks a little at the suggestion. "Anybody in particular?"

"Come on, Doc. Don't play stupid. It's not like we have a vast number of choices. I'm talking about the usual suspects."

Lauren laughs. "I've already talked to Hale and he has promised to buy you a drink."

"A drink?...Una Bebida? Napitok?"

"He was not specific on the number of drinks."

"That sounds better. I thought I had him trained better than that."

"I met a beautiful woman today." Lauren blurted out. Lauren shook her head after saying it. "Why did I just tell her that?" Lauren internally scolded herself.

"Oh, you did, did you? Dets. I need some dets. Share with your little sis."

"It's not a big deal. I bumped into a detective that works in Hale's precinct. That's all." Lauren desperately tried to play down the encounter. She really didn't want to get into it on the phone at work. Why Lauren felt the need to tell her about it at all escaped her completely."

"You wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't a big deal. Now, give it up, girl."

"We can talk about it more tonight."

"Oh, no...You can't bail on me like this. A friendship like this one comes with certain rules."

"I've got to get back to work, Kenz. We can talk tonight."

"Really? You are going to drop a bomb on me and run?"

"I'll make it up to you."

"You already owe me a crap load."

"No, I don't."

"You want me to list everything I have done for you or that you have done to me?"

"Goodbye, Kenzi."

"I'm soooo not liking you right now." Kenzi groans in frustration. "Bye."

* * *

For the next couple of hours, Lauren tried to get some work done. Despite her best efforts, she found it very difficult to maintain her focus. She would be peering through a microscope or preparing her slides and suddenly, her mind would start fantasizing about the sexy detective. It was incredibly frustrating. She had too much to do to waste any time on daydreaming. Lauren, for the life of her, could not figure out why she was so fixated on a complete stranger. It was completely irrational.

Lauren glanced up at the clock in the lab and noticed that there was only a half an hour left before she had to pick up Kenzi. Where had the time gone? She looked down at the laptop sitting near her microscope and groaned. She hadn't accomplished anything of importance since her meeting with Bo.

Since she didn't think it would be possible to regain her concentration any time soon, Lauren decided to pack up her stuff and make her way over to the psych ward to see one of her favorite patients. Every week, Lauren does her best to spend a little time with him because he didn't get very many visitors. Sometimes, his daughter would make an appearance or Dyson would spend a little time with him, but for the most part, he was all alone. She suspects it is just too painful for those who care to see him in such a state of mania. Lauren empathized with him greatly. She never knew him when he was sane, but she heard a lot of stories that humanized him in her mind. It was tragic for someone who had experienced so much sorrow in his life, largely due to his own mistakes, to spend the rest of his days engulfed in insanity.

When Lauren made it to his ward, she saw the head nurse at the main station, typing away on a keyboard. Lauren got along with Stella, generally speaking, but she found her to be a little cold and rude at times. The one thing that bonded them together was the man in the padded room just down the hall.

"Good evening, Stella. How is our patient doing today?" Lauren noticed that Stella was even gloomier than normal and probably a little tired as well.

"Hello, Dr. Lewis. It has been a rough day for him. He became a little violent and we had to restrain and sedate him."

"Oh, no. I wonder what triggered it."

"I don't know. It has been a while since he has gotten physical with anyone. I guess he was just overdue."

"I guess I should come back again some other time."

"You can go in an see him for a minute or two. Maybe, it would be good for him to have a friend right now."

Lauren nodded and gave her a sad smile. "Thank you."

Stella led Lauren to his room and unlocked the door. Lauren stepped into the white, padded room and Stella locked the door behind her. The doctor took a long look at the man who was strapped down to a hospital bed, mumbling in his sleep. She walks up to his bed and places her hand on one of his arms.

As is the case most of the time, Lauren couldn't decipher everything that he was saying. Every so often, she would hear something like "They all need to die." or "I should kill them all." Otherwise, it was nothing, but a bunch of gibberish. Lauren gave him a soft smile before saying "Hello, Mr. McCorrigan. It's Dr. Lewis again. I hear you are having a difficult day."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm sorry for the delayed update. Things have gotten a little hectic lately. To make it up to you, I made this chapter especially long.

Thank you to the reader who let me know that I should italicize character thoughts. I tried to write it so I wouldn't need to italicize them, but if one person found it confusing than I'm sure others did as well. This chapter reflects the change. I will go back and update previous chapters soon.

Poor Trick. Not everyone can pull off crazy with pinache like Aife. Given everything "series Aife" has been through in her life, I think she has every right to be a little unwell. Don't you? In response to one reader, Trick is not related to Lauren. What? How is that possible you might ask? You will have to wait and see.

Please note that eventually Bo and Lauren will be inseparable. In the meantime, I am trying to make sure that all of the scenes I write will ultimately play an important role in the Bo and Lauren story.

CHAPTER 7

Only a select few knew the true identity of the man in the bed. Most of the Fae in the area thought he was a simple barkeep for the Dal Riata, a waystation serving both the Dark and Light Fae alike. They know that about thirty years ago, he went completely mad and had to be locked away in the Light Fae compond. Only a handful in the area knew of his immense power or that he was a legendary historical figure, celebrated centuries later for his efforts in ending the Great Fae war.

The man's greatest accomplishments came long before Lauren was even born. In fact, she never even had an opportunity to talk with him while he was sane, yet Lauren felt like she knew him on a personal level. Between his daughter, Dyson and friends that frequent the Dal, she has been able to piece together the tragic tale of a husband, father and friend who was confronted with some terrible situations in his lifetime. In truth, the decisions he made during those difficult times destroyed him long before his mind faltered.

Whenever she visited Mr. McCorrigan, Lauren would spend her time telling him about her week. She would go into details about the people she saw, the experiments she conducted, the latest in Fae politics or anything else on her mind. The content of her interaction with Fitzpatrick or Trick as people called him wasn't as important as just being there for him, in case there was some small part of his mind that might be able to understand and appreciate the one-way conversation.

Kenzi went with Lauren one time out of curiosity because she wanted to see the man behind the legend, at least what was left of him, that is. Afterwards, she told Lauren that if he had not gone crazy years ago, listening to Lauren geek out on isotopes or free radicals would surely do the trick. That's when she decided to help out the old guy by periodically updating him on the important stuff like fashion, celebrity gossip, television and anything going on with her struggling one-person PI agency. Lauren didn't always accompany Kenzi when she would go to see the "Trickster" so who knows what other kinds of things she was telling him.

For this visit, Lauren spent most of her time talking about how she was swamped with patients, investigations and experiments. Then, just like her phone conversation with Kenzi, Lauren found herself unexpectidly and for no particular reason at all, talking about the brunette from earlier in the day.

"I met this incredible woman today. She is a detective with the police force, serving in the same precinct as Hale and Dyson. I don't know why, but I can't seem to get her out of my mind." Lauren laughed and shook her head slighly at her own behavior.

"The moment we first laid eyes upon one another, I just felt this strange connection to her. I can't seem to put it into words." Lauren paused as she looked at the ceiling. "It is completely irrational." She groaned.

"I guess I have developed some sort of silly crush on her. It's probably just because I am still very tired and..." Lauren rolls her eyes before continuing. "It has been so long since I've had any romantic feelings for someone."

"In all liklihood, I'm just projecting my desire for emotional intimacy onto this one woman." Lauren squeezes her eyes shut for a second or two and keeps them closed, but releases some of the tension. "She just has this warmth about her that I find to be quite irresistable." She slowly opens her eyes. "While a part of me was nervous as hell about talking to her, another part of me was perfectly at ease with her, as if I was finally getting to spend time with someone that I adore and haven't seen in a long time. I normally don't experience this level of comfort for someone I barely know. It's crazy."

"_Probably shouldn't use the word crazy while talking to someone in a padded cell._" Lauren admonishes herself.

Lauren returns her attention to the person in the bed. "I'm sure you would like her too. She is very charming. I imagine the impact she's had on me is not that unusual. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear that it happens all the time with her." Lauren takes a deep breath and smiles a little bit.

"I would like to think the spark I felt between us wasn't one sided...that she experienced something special too, but odds are against it being mutual. Most likely, she is just flirtatious and friendly by nature. Besides, she needed something from me. Now that I am no longer of any use to her, I doubt I will even hear from her again."

"_It's a good thing he won't remember any of this conversation because I am making a total fool of myself right now._" Lauren thought to herself.

"I guess I am longing for the kind of happiness you had with your Isabeau and I want to believe that this stranger is the one meant for me." Just then, Lauren's mind made a connection that had previously gone unnoticed. "Isabeau...Talk about a coincidence. My beautiful detective's name is Isabeau, but everyone calls her Bo. I wonder what the odds are of that?" Lauren made a mental note to actually calculate the odds a little later. They had to be quite significant. Isabeau doesn't seem like a common name.

Without warning, Trick's eyes spring open and he lunges for Lauren, causing the leather restraints to strain against his wrists. Shocked, Lauren stands suddenly and accidentally knocks over her chair. She gasps loudly as her heart rate jumps from 60 to 120 beats per minute in under two seconds.

Trick's eyes are initially wild and filled with rage, but they quickly soften as they focus in on the doctor. "Please help her. She is in danger."

"Wh-Who?"

"Isabeau. You must protect her."

Before Lauren can respond, Trick's eyes shut and his body goes limp. For a few minutes, Lauren stands there dumfounded by what just happened.

"_He must have been dreaming about his wife._" Lauren speculates. The intensity of the moment caused the doctor to shake with nerves. Over the years, Lauren had spent many hours with the man and not once, in all that time, did she actually get the feeling that he saw her, truly saw her and not only did he seem to in that moment, but he begged for her help. She didn't know what to make of it all. Instead of lingering in the room, Lauren comes to the conclusion that she's had enough excitement for one day and takes her leave of him.

* * *

By the time Lauren made it to her place and picked up Kenzi, her best friend was bouncing off the walls with curiosity, wanting to know about the woman Lauren mentioned in their earlier phone conversation. Lauren gave her a fairly detailed, clinical accounting of her encounter with Bo as she freshened up and drove them to the Dal.

Even though Lauren did her best hide her infatuation, Kenzi could see right through the doctor's facade. For one thing, the doctor couldn't wipe this goofy looking smile off of her face. Smiles do not come easy for Lauren, which is why Kenzi takes great pride in getting her to grin or if she is really on her game, laugh. Another important indicator was Lauren's wild hand movements. Kenzi has come to realize that Lauren's gestures become more annimated when the good doctor is excided about something. As she was talking about her encounter with the mysterious detective, Lauren's hands were moving faster than her mouth. It was a little dizzying to watch.

More than anything in this world, Kenzi really wanted her bestie to be happy. Lauren had been through an awful lot in her life and she was long overdue for some good times. That's why she was hoping the doctor had met someone today who could be everything she needs and deserves. After hearing the details of how they met, though, Kenzi doubted that this Bo Dennis was going to be anything other than trouble.

Police detective or not, Bo Dennis was a con artist. Now, the young woman was no stranger to the art of skillful manipulation and she could even appreciate the handy work of others, but this was her best friend and she doesn't trust a con with her Lo Lo's heart. If this Bo character ever decides to get back into contact with Lauren, Kenzi decides that she is going to lay down the law on the law woman.

"I've got to hand it to her. That woman has some pretty big brass balls to try and scam an autopsy file from you." Kenzi responds when Lauren finishes telling her story.

"I certainly hope she doesn't. It would completely ruin my X-rated fantasy." Lauren says with a cheeky grin and a wink.

Kenzi scrunches up her face as if she has eaten something sour. "Please don't say anything more." Kenzi lightly places her hands over her ears. "I don't need to hear about your copdoc fantasy. If I get sick tonight, I want the cause to be alcohol and not because you shared some tale worthy of a pervy chat board. I am far too young and innocent for such things."

The two look at each other straight in the face when Kenzi busts out laughing and Lauren chuckles while rolling her eyes.

It was Kenzi who got a hold of herself first and directed the conversation to something a little more serious. "Listen, Doc. I can tell that you really like this one, but you need to be careful with her. She doesn't exactly sound like the trustworthy type."

"She is moving heaven and earth to find her best friend's killer." Lauren paused and looked as sincerely as possible in Kenzi's eyes. "It's what I would do for you."

"Okay. I will try to keep an open mind, but if she hurts you, I will tear her limb from limb and express mail her parts to different members of her family."

"What happened to young and innocent?"

"Oh, that was soooo 60 seconds ago."

Lauren pulled her in for a quick hug before saying "I don't think you will have anything to worry about, Kenzi. I doubt I will ever hear from her again. Even if I do, I'll probably end up talking too much about science and I will scare her away."

Kenzi pulled away from the hug. "Lauren, I know that I tease you a lot about your nerdy ways, but you are very lurvable and the right girl will adore everything about you, including your frequent geek attacks. If this Bo girl doesn't fit the bill, then she isn't worthy of you."

"Thanks, Kenz." Lauren gives her friend a smile.

"Enough of this sentimental bullshit. Let's get to the important stuff." Kenzi declares. "What kind of fae is she? A Valkyerie? An Amazon? A Fairy? Oh...No...Tell me she is a Mermaid. Yea, a Mermaid. Do you think you could get her to show me her tail?" Kenzi pauses for a second as the full implications of what she said began to settle in a little. "That came out a little dirtier than I intended. I don't mean it in a pervy way."

Lauren laughed. "She is not a mermaid, a valkyerie or anything else in your list. Actually, she isn't even Fae. She's human."

A look of pure disappointment washed over her face. "Human? Are you positive? Are you sure? Are you absolutely positively sure?"

If there is one thing Lauren has come to learn about her friend, its that she has a little bit of a Fae bias about her. Kenzi likes to joke about how being human makes her superior to her Fae friends, but her words and her actions are always at odds with one another. Lauren can sense that Kenzi prefers Faes over humans and is secretly insecure about her place in the group. There is no doubt in Lauren's mind that Kenzi would do whatever she could to become one of them, if such an option existed. What she neglects to understand is that she is special, even without Fae abilities.

"I'm confident. Why? Is there something wrong with being attracted to a human?"

"No...No way...Hey, the shorter the lifespan, the deeper the quicksand. Right?" Kenzi turns to open the door to the Dal and offers the doctor passage.

"Right." Lauren smiles and enters the Dal first.

The bar is packed with patrons and Lauren is instantly overwhelmed by the high concentration of sexual energy confined in one small space. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, but it does very little to qwell the intense hunger she is experiencing. Kenzi quickly enters the bar herself, walks up next to her friend and whistles. "Holy shitballs, Batman. What do we have here?" Kenzi's eyes roam around the establishment and fall upon a sign that says "Ladies Night."

"It looks like our sassy succubus friend has organized herself a killer ladies' night. I'm kinda hurt that we didn't get a personal invite...Correct that...I'm kinda pissed."

"Mmmm." Lauren mumbles in response. Kenzi positions herself in front of Lauren to get a better look at her face. The doctor's electric blue eyes and dazed expression were clear indicators that her friend was not listening to a word she was saying. Kenzi snaps her fingers in front of Lauren's face, causing her to blink rapidly, clear her throat and say "Hmmm...What?"

"Hypnotized by all the pretty, were we?" Kenzi asked.

"Um...I was just looking for Hale."

"Sure you were. Unless Hale got himself some implants and is sporting a brand new vagina, I'm pretty sure you were checking out all the the super bangable women in this place who are consuming MY half priced shots."

"You weren't going to pay for the shots tonight anyway." Lauren mumbles to her friend while still perusing the crowd.

"True, but it's the principle of the thing. We should have gotten a text message, a phone call, a sing-o-gram...something." Kenzi says with a scowl.

Lauren blinks repeatedly trying to clear her vision and her mind. "The sexual energy in this place is off the charts."

"I know that for a hungry, horny succubus like yourself tonight is the closest you will ever come to a virtual smorgasbord of chi, but would you please try to focus on what is important."

"Uh huh." Lauren dips her head as she continues to scan the crowd through slitted eyes. It doesn't happen too often, but Kenzi can tell that Lauren is struggling to keep her inner predator at bay.

Kenzi reaches up and grabs the doctor's face, forcing Lauren's attention her way. It helps to refocus the doctor. "What?" Lauren asks quizzically.

"We have been dissed by your mentor and our friend." Kenzi drops her hands to her sides, pauses and gives Lauren a look that says 'Duh' before she finishes. "It is our obligation to teach her a lesson."

Lauren rolls her eyes. She doesn't get a chance to respond to her hyper sensitive friend because a voice emerges from the crowd, drawing their attention away from each other.

"My girls are finally here." That's when a tall, beautiful brown haired woman floats into view, wearing a short, red silk dress, holding her arms up in the air before swooping upon them, bestowing each one with a half hug and air kisses on the cheeks. "I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't show." she says.

Saskia McCorrigan, known by a select few as Aife, took over running the way station after her father lost his mind. For over a thousand years, Aife was tortured and confined in a dungeon by the Dark King for killing a Dark Fae Elder on a revenge mission. It was her own father, the Blood King, who had handed her over to the Dark Light for execution in order to maintain the newly crafted peace between the two factions. Instead of kiling her, though, the Dark King kept her imprisoned for his own personal amusement.

Fortunately for Aife, she doesn't know much about her life for the last thousand years. She can't remember anything that happened from the day before her mother died until the day she woke up in the woods almost thirty years ago. All she knows is that somehow, she was able to escape from the Dark King's grasp.

Since Saskia was not able to find her way back to her father before he lost his mind, Dyson, Trick's long-time friend, was the one who took it upon himself to fill in some of the blanks for her. He is also the one who helped to set up her new identity to protect her from the dark, who still consider her to be a fugitive.

"You could have avoided the worrying if you had simply invited us to your party." Kenzi said while placing a hand on her hip and looking at Saskia with an attitude.

"Sweetie, Hale told me that you all would be here tonight. Why do you think I threw together this little shindig for us all? It's been like...three weeks since we have seen each other. I thought a party was in order." Between Saskia being out of town 'on business' and the doctor's late nights, the three women have not seen each other in a while, which was quite unusual for them.

"You arranged all of this in a couple of hours?" Kenzi asked. She opened her eyes wide as she scanned the room again in appreciation.

"Honey, when Saskia arranges a party, people come, in more ways than one."

"I bow to your excellence." Kenzi responded, bending at the waist with her arms outstretched towards the succubus.

"As you should, little one." Saskia laughed and turned her attention to Lauren "I heard about your little accident the other day." Saskia emphasizes the word accident with air quotes. Lauren shot Kenzi an angry look to which Kenzi promptly looked away.

"_That's it. I need to confiscate her phone. No more text messaging for you, my goth friend_" Lauren thought in response.

Lauren forced a smile to appear on her face. "Is this where you tell me it happens to all of us and I shouldn't worry about it?"

"Actually, it's never happened to me, but then again, I never allow myself to get hungry like you do."

"Of course, you don't" Lauren says, shaking her head while she grinned.

"I've tried telling you, Lauren, you need to adjust your priorities. Feeding should always be at the top of your list. Why you insist on depriving yourself when..." Saskia looks around the room as her voice becomes more husky, "there are so many delicable treats in this world, I will never understand."

"I don't suppose you have seen Hale roaming around in here?" Lauren asks Saskia.

Saskia's smile gets bigger as she notices that Lauren changed the subject on her again, as she does whenever they talk about feeding. "Yes, he is in the back with Dyson waiting for you two."

"Oh goodie. I was hoping he would bring Dyson." Lauren thought saracstically.

"I figured you might want a little privacy." Saskia added.

"That is perfect. Thank you. We have to talk about a case so you guessed correctly." Lauren said with all sincerity.

"Might you need any assistance?" Saskia asks.

"We could always benefit from your wisdom" Lauren says with a slight smile.

Saskia laughs, "Why do I feel old when you say that?"

"I'm sorry. That was not my intention." Lauren blushes a little in embarrassment.

"No worries. I'm sure I can find someone here who can make me feel young again or maybe, a couple of someones." Saskia waves at a young man standing in the corner and flashes him a sexy smile. He nods his head back at the older succubus and returns a smile.

Saskia's attention returns to Lauren. "That reminds me. When we are done talking about the case, you should consider taking one or two beauties home with you as well."

"Wow...Half priced alcohol and carry out. What more can we ask for?" Kenzi says.

"What can I say, nothing is too good for my besties." Saskia replies to Kenzi.

"Does that mean we can drink from the top shelf tonight?" Kenzi crosses her fingers and closes her eyes tightly as if she were making a wish.

"Of course, Dear. If Hale is willing to pay for it, then you can have all the pricy alcohol your little body can handle." Saskia laughs, grabs the hands of the two women and directs them to the back of the bar.

* * *

Hale is the first one to notice the women approach. He rises to greet them, causing Dyson to stand up, turn around and do the same.

"Finally, my favorite Senoritas have arrived." Hale steps around the table to envelop Lauren and Kenzi in quick hugs. When he finished hugging Kenzi, he keeps his hands on her arms. "Little mama, you are smokin' hot this evening." Kenzi does a little twirl for him. "You like? I picked up this outfit today when I out shopping for some clubbing gear for my little Succubutt here."

"Huh? You what?" Lauren asked, surprised by Kenzi's revelation. Lauren could hear Dyson chuckling off to the side, but she didn't look at him. Instead, she just rubs her temples and closes her eyes. Kenzi rotated on her heels to face her.

"Oh, Honey, you and I both know that you would have found some excuse to avoid going shopping with me so I took matters into my own beautiful hands."

"You don't know that for sure." Lauren said, but even she didn't believe it.

"Yea, right." Kenzi replied, placing her hands on Lauren's shoulders. "I would like to tell you not to worry because you are going to love it, but I'm not going to lie to you like you just did to me." Kenzi starts patting her arms as she continues talking. "The outfit that I selected for you is a little outside of your comfort zone." Kenzi pauses and looks towards the ceiling. "Actually, it is miles away from your comfort zone, but I promise that you will have to beat all the hotties off of you with a stick when you wear it. Either that or it will lead to a giant orgy. Not sure which."

Hale chimes in to say "You know, I wouldn't mind going out one night." Saskia claps her hands together excitedly and adds "I know the perfect spot. We could make an evening of it."

Lauren groans. "I need a drink." she mumbles under her breath.

Remarkably, Dyson is the one who comes to her aid. "Hale and I have procured a fine selection of alcoholic beverages for your enjoyment this evening, if you would like to have a seat."

The mention of alcohol catches Kenzi's attention. "Oooo. Come to mama." She says to no one in particular as she makes a bee line to the vodka. Hale starts passing out the shot glasses as everyone takes a seat. Kenzi has her first two shots downed before the rest of the drinks are poured for everyone else.

"Thank you." Lauren whispers to Dyson who nods and responds "You owe me." Lauren groans internally. She knows he will try to collect and his kind gesture will not even compare to what he wants in return.

In the meantime, Hale is amuses himself by watching Kenzi. He shakes his head a little, astonished at how the little human could throw it back. Eventually, he breaks free of his musings to give a compliment to their host. "I've got to tell, Saskia, I've never seen so many luscious ladies in one bar before. You have really outdone yourself."

"Well, I do have a reputation to uphold." Saska tilts her head. "I feel duty bound to warn you that many of those beautiful ladies will be more interested in Kenzi and Lauren than you and Dyson."

"That just means we will have to try a little harder with them." Dyson interjects with a chuckle.

"Ugh. It's comments like that make me wonder why we even talk to you D-Bag." Kenzi rolls her eyes, drains another shot and slams her glass on the table. Dyson's laughing gets louder and Kenzi shoots Lauren a look that says "Can you believe this guy?"

Hale changes the subject to keep Dyson from saying something that will only get him in more trouble. "My only complaint is with the lack of AC in this place. With all of these hot bodies in one small bar, it is sweltering in here. Are you trying to save money on power or what?"

Lauren rolls her eyes and quickly adds "Hale, do not take your shirt off in here."

"Lauren, if the man is hot, then he's got to do something. We don't want him to faint." Kenzi says as she begs Lauren with her eyes to let this one go.

Saskia surprises everyone by interjecting. "I'm with the human on this one." She flashes Lauren a sly smile and gives her a wink.

"Et tu, Saskai?" Lauren feigns being hurt by Saskia's betrayal. "I thought you had a no shirt, no shoes, no service policy."

"I also have a 'If you've got it, flaunt it policy' and it takes priority," the seasoned succubus replies.

She leans over and whispers to Lauren "Have you seen his abs?"

"Ladies, ladies...I have no intention of taking off my shirt. I just needed to get out of this jacket, that's all." Hale starts taking off his jacket as Lauren responds.

"That's how it always starts, Hale. Before you know it..."

While Lauren is talking, Kenzi makes a slashing motion across her throat and gives her the evil eye. When that doesn't work, Kenzi interrupts her with "Ah, Lauren, don't you want to talk to Hale about your new friend?" Kenzi asks with a shit eating grin on her face. Lauren glares at Kenzi like she could kick her ass.

"Yea, Doc, how in the world did you bump into Detective Dennis?" Hale wonders.

Lauren hedges a little. She didn't really give much thought into how she was going to get information from Hale without revealing much in return. She didn't like the idea of lying to her friends. Plus, she was worried about Bo and would like to have an extra set of eyes or two watching over her.

"For me to tell all of of you what happened, you must swear, on your honor, that it will not leave this table. I don't want there to be any negative consequences resulting from my encounter with her." Lauren states emphatically.

"I don't know, Doc." Hale starts to say when Lauren interjects. "Please, Hale."

"Yea, Hale, do the Doc here a solid. Pleeeeeaaassseee?" Kenzi adds as she gives him her best puppy dog eyes.

"I guess since you asked so nicely." Hale says in Kenzi's direction and Kenzi, in return, puts her arms around his shoulders." "Thanks, Wolfman." Kenzi lays her head on his shoulder as she responds. That's when Lauren turned her attention to Dyson.

"Dyson?" Lauren asks, bracing herself for his response. He pauses. All eyes are on him as he contemplates his response. "On my honor." he states as he nods his head.

Lauren knows that she should probably cut him some slack. After all, he is willing to keep his mouth shut with no good reason to do so. Yet, she can't help, but think that he going to find a way of making her regret telling him anything and that pisses her off. She tries to let it go, though, and this time looks over at Saskia.

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm no rat." The older succubus flips her hair and smiles over at Dyson as she assures Lauren of her intent to be loyal.

"Thank you. I really appreciate having you all as friends." Lauren doesn't normally feel a need to express such vulnerability, however, it seemed appropriate given the circumstances. She trusted the people at the table to keep their word and that includes Dyson, even though, she has no doubt that he will be calling in a favor one day soon.

Lauren proceeds to explain how Bo showed up at the lab and tried to get a copy of the Williams autopsy. Unlike the version she told to Kenzi, this one was devoid of any personal thoughts on the brunette and her actions. While she provided a clinical explanation of the incident, Lauren was sure to glance around the table to look at the reactions of those new to the story. Dyson was inscrutible, Hale seemed dumbfounded, Kenzi was preoccupied with her alcohol and Saskia was highly amused.

When she finished, the table was absolutely quiet for what felt like a minute before Saskia says, "I like this girl already. She has guts." Hale didn't seem to hear her as he was lost in thought. Instead, he started mumbling to himself. "I can't fucking believe it. How the hell did she know about the lab?"

Hale turned and looked toward his partner who seemed just as confused as the shifter. "You got me." Dyson responded as if the mumbled question was directed at hiim.

Kenzi was the first to offer an idea. "Could she have overheard you guys talking? Beardo here does have a deep voice that carries." Lauren couldn't help but let out a little snort at Kenzi's new nickname for Dyson. She apologizes before consuming some more of her Tequila.

"Where's the love Kenzi?" Dyson pretended to be offended by Kenzi's remark, but everyone knew that he could never be really mad at her. He saw her as a little sister.

"I must have misplaced it the last time you made a sexist comment in my presence." Kenzi stuck out her tongue at Dyson who proceeded to laugh.

"I hate to interrupt the flirt fest going on here, but am I the only one at this table who is concerned about how a human was able to find, break into and almost get a hold of an autopsy report from the Light Fae compound?" Hale's tone reflects the stress that he undoubtedly feeling at the moment.

"Don't worry, Hale. I only have eyes for your vodka. No need to be jealous." Kenzi quips.

Hale slumps back in his chair and slaps his forehead with his hand. Dyson is the one who addresses Kenzi's theory. "I doubt she overheard us talking. We are very careful about the words we choose at the precinct and I do try to pay attention to who is loitering in the area."

"Maybe, she followed you two from the cop shop." Kenzi offered.

Hale considered Kenzi's latest proposal and shook his head. "Even if she did, how did she know what she would find in the building. It's not as if the building is clearly marked."

"We might have a leak." Dyson suggested. Scrunching up his face as if he were in pain, Hale says, "I can't think of anyone who would be that stupid. Besides, why give a human that information?"

"To get her killed." Lauren suggested.

"That's a definite possibility." Dyson agreed.

"She is not going to give up until she finds what she is looking for or someone kills her first." Hale sighs deeply. "I did some digging into her background after I spoke with Lauren this afternoon. There is still a lot of unknowns, but here is what I can tell you." Hale pauses, looks down at his hands resting on the table and then into Lauren's eyes. "She is stubborn and tenacious. Bo had a love/hate relationship established with the superiors in her last precinct. They loved her because she got results. Cases didn't go cold when Bo was the lead detective. To achieve her perfect record, Bo often resorted to unconventional tactics and constantly refused to follow orders. That is where the hate part came into play. If she didn't close cases all the time, she would have been fired years ago."

"And now, she has her sights on the Fae that killed her best friend. There will be no reasoning with her." Lauren already suspected that Bo would be unstoppable, yet she thought it was important to say it out loud for the others to hear.

"Nope. That's a lost cause, Doc" Hale nodded in agreement.

"I need to warn you guys that I plan on doing whatever is necessary to keep her alive." Lauren states as she glances around the table.

"Yea, me too." Kenzi chimes in and gives the table a smack with the palm of her hand. "I will break laws, bust balls and violate all sense of decency to keep Bobolicious safe." Lauren quirked an eyebrow at Kenzi in response to the nickname. Kenzi mouthed "What?".

"I know that you two are all pro-human all the time, but our main obligation is to protect the number one rule and not to keep some mule headed detective from getting herself killed." Dyson warned. Lauren blood pressure skyrocketed with Dyson's comment, even though it didn't take her by surprise. Outside of Kenzi, she knew that Dyson didn't really care very much for humans. After all, he had referred to them as barbarians in the past.

"You can be such a tool sometimes, Dyson" Kenzi said in all seriousness. "Some humans are worth the effort, just like some Fae are not."

Hale intervened what was soon to become a verbal altercation between Kenzi and Dyson. "I don't see why we can't do both." Hale shifted his attention from Kenzi to Dyson and then back again before turning to Lauren. "I'll also see if I can arrange a new temporary Fae partner for Bo. Someone we can trust who can look out over her. I think I can make a case that she could be in danger from the same Fae who killed her friend."

"Thanks, Hale. I completely agree with you. I don't see why protecting her and preserving the one rule are mutually exclusive." Lauren replied. "One sure fire way of accomplishing both is by catching the killer as soon as possible. Do you guys have any leads?"

"We think we know the human shifter's name. It is Dean Alexander and he is Dark Fae. He has only been in town for a couple of days. We do not know if he stuck around after his assignment. All we do know is that he was spotted at Carpe Noctum the night before the murder. Unfortunately, the Dark Fae are not cooperating with us and we can't go to the club looking for information." Dyson explained. "As if on cue, Hale added, "It sure would be nice if we new a succubus who could persuade people to talk."

"I'll go." Lauren volunteers.

Kenzi can't quite believe her ears. Lauren is a well known member of the Light Fae due to the unusual nature of her discovery. She would be spotted right away and the consequences could be quite serious. "Tell me you are kidding. You were afraid the Ash was going to bust you for being late this morning and yet, you are willing to be punished for interrogating people at a popular Dark Fae night club?"

"It is the only way." Lauren says matter-of-factly. She knows that it is dangerous and could result in severe punishment if she were caught, but she knew, without a doubt, that she had to do this in order to protect Bo.

"No, no, it's not. I'll go. I may not have the magic touch, but I can sweet talk information out of practically anyone. Besides, I am just a stupid human who wouldn't know any better than to go to a dark fae club."

"That is not an option, Kenzi. I know you are very clever and can take care of yourself, but that place is vile. It would be dangerous for anyone to go alone, especially a human."

"I say that all three of us should go." Saskia offered. "I have this great costume that I have been dying to wear. I originally planned on using it for some role playing activities I had scheduled with this sexy, young Latino man I met last week, but it can't hurt to give it a test drive in the real world. I'm sure we can come up with some adequate disguises for you two as well. Between the three of us, we can cover the whole club in nothing flat. No one will be the wiser." Saskia smiled brightly.

"I can't put you two in that kind of danger, Saskia." Lauren said, concerned about what could happen to her mentor and her best friend.

"Oh, please dear, I have done far more dangerous things in my lifetime and I promise you that we will be just fine.

Lauren took some time to think about the idea. She quickly came to realize that they really had no better option. "Okay. Thank you, both."

"Well, I hate to bring our evening to a sudden halt, but mama has run out of alcohol and she still needs to get her drink on. Besides, I need to get the Clit Whisperer into the other room so she can get her fill before work tomorrow."

"Oh, my God, really, Kenzi? Where the hell do you come up with this stuff and why do you actually say it?" Lauren asks incredulously.

"Yes, really is the answer to question one. It is a gift is your answer to number two and because I can is my response to numero tres."

A/N: So the first episode of season 4 dealt with people forgetting about Bo, among other things. As such, I just need to clarify a couple of points. The only person in this story who is suffering from memory loss is Aife/Saskia. I thought about removing this element, but it is an important component to this story and I am just going to roll with it.

Please let me know what you think. Thanks for all of the encouragement.


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